5SE? 



BY 


GEORGE NESTLER 

























OUR ARMY IN 
A NUTSHELL 

THE CIVILIAN’S 
MILITARY HANDBOOK l/ 

(Including the new regimental and divisional organization 
and all changes which it is permissible to publish) 

-By- 

George Nestler Tricoche / 

Author of “The American Soldier in France" 


Published by 

George U. Harvey Publishing Co., Inc. 

109 Lafayette Street, New York 

Price, 60 cents 


HARVEY MILITARY SERIES 







COPYRIGHT, 1918, 

BY GEORGE U. HARVEY PUB. CO., INC. . 


RPR -5 1918 ^ 



Printed by THE HARVE 
109 LAFAYETTE STREET 

©Cl. A 4 9 4 4 4 5 


PRESS, Inc. 

NEW YORK CITY 





FOREWORD 

There has been a growing, and hitherto unsatisfied, 
demand for a publication in which civilians could find, at a 
glance, some elementary statistics and other condensed 
information about the U. S. Army. The few details which 
the general public wants to know are scattered in official 
Tables of Organization, Manuals, Regulations, General 
Orders, technical magazine articles, etc., and so mixed up 
with other matter that, even if he chances to have at his 
disposal the sources above mentioned, he, who is not fa¬ 
miliar with military tables and vernacular, experiences 
often the greatest difficulty—and loses much time—in 
finding the particulars needed. 

The object of this little booklet is to fill, if possible, 
that gap in the long series of military publications. 

OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL is the first book to 
contain all the important changes that have occurred in 
the Army Organization since August, 1917, and which one 
is allowed to publish. 

The “NUTSHELL” will be invaluable, not only to 
civilians merely interested in military matters, but to the 
Army, Home Guards, students, members of Boys’ Military 
Organizations, Newspapers, Libraries, Public Associa¬ 
tions, etc. 







CONTENTS 


Page 


PART I. Military Legislation . 7 

II. General Organization of the Army .. .. 12 

III. The Different Units . 14 

IV. Tactical Organization. 38 

V. Territorial Areas . 42 

VI. War Department, Schools, Arsenals .. 48 

VII. Officers . 53 

VIII. Reserves . 55 

IX. Ranks and Insignia. 57 

X. Clothing, Equipment, Rations, Pay .. .. 73 

XI. Armament and Gunnery . „ 87 

XII. Principal Military Abbreviations .. .. 91 

XIII. A Bit of Army History. 93 

XIV. Sundry Statistics and Information .. .. 95 


































































































































PART I. 


Military Legislation. 

The fundamental Military Laws of the United States 
are, at present: 

1. The National Defense Act of June 3, 1916. 

2. The Emergency Army Law of May 18, 1917, which 
organizes conscription by selective draft. 

MILITARY SERVICE—Although the principle of 
compulsory service is not specifically written in the Con¬ 
stitution, it is generally admitted that all male citizens 
and male aliens who have declared their intention to be¬ 
come citizens, between the ages of 18 and 45, both inclu¬ 
sive, constitute theoretically the military forces of the 
United States. This disposition was incorporated in the 
Military Law of April 22, 1898. 

CONSCRIPTION—The object of the draft is: 

1. To organize, in two increments, a force of one 
million men, known as “National Army.”* 

2. To complete to war strength, if necessary, the units 
to the Regular Army and National Guard. 

The draft is based upon the liability to military service 
of all male citizens, or male persons not alien enemies who 
have declared their intention to become citizens, between 
the ages of 21 to 30, both inclusive. 


*This is the original Conscription Law. The number of drafted men 
may be increased by Congress. 


7 



8 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Exemptions from Draft: 

First—Officers of the United States and the several 
States and territories and District of Co¬ 
lumbia. 

Second—Regularly ordained ministers of religion and 
students of divinity preparing for the min¬ 
istry on May 18, 1917. 

Third—Persons already in the armed forces of the 
United States. 

Fourth—Alien enemies and all other aliens who have 
not taken out their first papers. 

Fifth—County and municipal officers. 

Sixth—Custom house clerks. 

Seventh—Persons employed in transmission of United 
States mails. 

Eighth—Workmen in armories, gun factories, arsenals 
and navy yards of the United States. 

Ninth—Steamship pilots. 

Tenth—Mariners actually employed in the sea service 
of the United States. 

Eleventh—The following classes who are the sole sup¬ 
port of dependent relatives: 

(a) Any married man whose wife or child is dependent 

upon him. 

(b) Any son of a widow dependent upon him. 

(c) Son of aged or infirm parent or parents dependent 

upon him. 

(d) Father of a motherless child or children under 

sixteen years of age dependent upon him. 

(e) Brother of a child or children under sixteen years 

of age who has or have neither father nor 
mother and is or are dependent upon him. 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


9 


Twelfth—Members of well recognized religious sects 
organized or existing May 18, 1917, whose 
creed forbids its members to participate in 
war. 

Thirteenth—Moral deficients. (This class includes 
criminals.) 

Classifying the Drafted .—With the completion of the 
draft of the first Army of 687,000 men, a new system has 
been installed for the creation of succeeding armies, which 
greatly lessens the work of the local and district boards. 
The men subject to draft are now put into five separate 
classes. Class I. is to be called out first; when it is ex¬ 
hausted, Class II. will come; and so forth. Class V., 
however, which embraces what is known as “discards,” is 
not likely to supply the draft with men. 

Registered men are placed in one of these five classes 
upon information obtained from them by means of a ques¬ 
tionnaire, which must be filled out by the men themselves 
and submitted to the local boards. 

The new system of classifying is shown in the follow¬ 
ing schedule: 

Class I. 

1. Single man without dependent relatives. 

2. Married man (or widower with children) who habit¬ 
ually fails to support his family. 

3. Married man dependent on wife for support. 

4. Married man (or widower with children) not use¬ 
fully engaged, family supported by income independent of 
his labor. 

5. Men not included in any other description in this or 
other classes. 

6. Unskilled laborer. 


10 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Class II. 

1. Married man or father of motherless children, use¬ 
fully engaged, but family has sufficient income apart from 
his daily labor to afford reasonably adequate support dur¬ 
ing his absence. 

2. Married man—no children—wife can support her¬ 
self decently and without hardship. 

3. Skilled farm laborer engaged in necessary agricul¬ 
tural enterprise. 

4. Skilled industrial laborer engaged in necessary in¬ 
dustrial enterprise. 


Class III. 

1. Man with foster children dependent on daily labor 
for support. 

2. Man with aged, infirm or invalid parents or grand¬ 
parents dependent on daily labor for support. 

3. Man with brothers or sisters incompetent to sup¬ 
port themselves, dependent on daily labor for support. 

4. County or municipal officer. 

5. Firemen or policemen. 

6. Necessary artificers or workmen in arsenals, armo¬ 
ries and navy yards. 

7. Necessary custom house clerk. 

8. Persons necessary in transmission of mails. 

9. Necessary employees in service of United States. 

Id. Highly specialized administrative experts. 

11. Technical or mechanical experts in industrial en¬ 
terprise. 

12. Highly specialized agricultural expert in agricul¬ 
tural bureau of State or nation. 

13. Assistant or associate manager of necessary indus¬ 
trial enterprise. 

14. Assistant or associate manager of necessary agri¬ 
cultural enterprise. 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


11 


Class IV. 

1. Married man with wife (and) or children (or wid¬ 
ower with children) dependent on daily labor for support 
and no other reasonably adequate support available. 

2. Mariners in sea service of merchants or citizens in 
United States. 

3. Heads of necessary industrial enterprises. 

4. Heads of necessary agricultural enterprises. 

Class V. 

1. Officers of States or the United States. 

2. Regularly or duly ordained ministers. 

3. Students of divinity. 

4. Persons in military or naval service. 

5. Aliens. 

6. Alien enemies. 

7. Persons morally unfit. 

8. Persons physically, permanently or mentally unfit. 

9. Licensed pilots. 


PART II. 


General Organization of the Army 

The U. S. Army may be divided, roughly, into 3 parts: 

1. Regular Army 

2. National Guard 

3. National Army (drafted) 


REGULAR ARMY 
War strength: 300,000 men. 

How raised: As far as practicable by voluntary enlist¬ 
ment of men between 18 and 35 years, both inclusive. 
Length of service: Three years in the active Army, and 
then four years in the Regular Army Reserve.* 


NATIONAL GUARD 
War strength : 450,000 men. 

How raised: As far as practicable by voluntary enlist¬ 
ment of men between 18 and 45, both inclusive.f Offi¬ 
cers must be at least 21; they are retired at 64. 

Length of service: Four years in the active National 
Guard; then three in the National Guard Reserve. 


* After one year’s honorable service, if reported sufficiently trained, 
an enlisted man may be furloughed to the Reserve. Men can re-enlist. 
fMen can re-enlist. 


12 





OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 13 

NATIONAL ARMY 

War strength: May reach 1,000,000 men undeY the Act of 
May 18, 1917.* 

How raised: By selective draft. 

Length of service: Apparently, duration of the War. 


COMMANDMENT OF THE ARMY 

The President of the United States is the Supreme 
Chief of the Army. 

Practically these functions are in the hands of the 
Secretary of War, who is assisted by a Chief of the Gen¬ 
eral Staff, usually a Major-General. In case of war, the 
command of Armies in the field may be given to a Gen¬ 
eral, assisted by one or more Lieutenant-Generals. These 
ranks do not exist in peace time. 

In time of peace, the National Guard units are under 
the orders of the Governor of their respective States or 
Territories, although under the control of the Federal 
War Department in so far as instruction is concerned. 
In case of war, these units are generally mustered into the 
Federal service and become a part of the Federal Army. 


See Note, page 7. 




PART III. 


The Different Units 

The component parts of the Army are called Arms or 
Services, according to their functions. 

INFANTRY 

The Infantry Arm is the bulk and the mainstay of the 
Army. The fate of any important engagement rests upon 
it. This is why the Infantry has often been called the 
“Battle’s Queen.” 

The regular fighting unit of this arm is the Company, 
which is commanded by a Captain. It consisted, before 
August, 1917, on war footing, of 150 men and 3 officers; 
it has now 250 men and 6 officers. A Company is divided 
into Squads, composed of 8 or more men commanded by a 
Corporal, a non-commissioned officer. This is the smallest 
body of troops in the Army. Several Squads grouped to¬ 
gether are called a Platoon, commanded by an officer, a 
Lieutenant. 

There are no less than two, no more than four, pla¬ 
toons in the Company. Each platoon is in turn divided 
into four sections, each under a non-commissioned officer, 
usually a Sergeant, sometimes a Corporal. 

In August, 1917, it was deemeS necessary to adopt for 
the Infantry Company an organization similar to that of 
the Allies. Especially for trench warfare, the company 
at 150 men and 3 officers is much too small; it would be 


14 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


15 


soon depleted so as to become useless. The main differ¬ 
ences between the old and new companies on war footing 
are shown in Ihe Table below: 


Old Company 


1 Captain 

1 

1 First Lieutenant 

3 

1 Second Lieutenant 

2 

1 First Sergeant 

• 1 

1 Mess Sergeant 

1 

1 Supply Sergeant 

1 

8 Sergeants 

12 

17 Corporals 

33 

2 Mechanics 

4 

2 Cooks 

4 

2 Buglers 

2 

115 Privates 

192 

152 

256 


New Company 
1 Captain 

First Lieutenants 
Second Lieutenants 
First Sergeant 
1 Mess Sergeant 
1 Supply Sergeant 
12 Sergeants 
33 Corporals 
Mechanics 
Cooks 
Buglers 
192 Privates 


One of the First Lieutenants is the Captain’s assist¬ 
ant; the other two command, respectively, the first and 
fourth platoon. The two Second Lieutenants command the 
center platoons (Nos. 2 and 3). The up to date infantry 
company is a very complex unit, quite different from the 
type hitherto known in the United States under that 
name. It is composed of a company headquarters (2 offi¬ 
cers and 18 men) and four platoons. Each one of its four 
platoons is a composite unit by itself, in which less than 
half of the men are ordinary riflemen. The Platoon in 
fact includes: 

1 Headquarters .. { \ ^ er 

1 Section bombers and rifle grenadiers ... 22 men 

2 Sections riflemen, 12 men each. 24 men 

1 Section auto riflemen with 4 guns. 11 men 


59 





16 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Four companies constitute a Battalion, commanded by 
a major. Three battalions form a Regiment, commanded 
by a colonel. 

The Infantry Regiment of today is, also, widely differ¬ 
ent from the type with which we were all familiar. War 
operations have become so scientific, and require so many 
specialists, that it was imperative to create in each regi¬ 
ment of infantry separate units in which these different 
specialists are grouped together. 

Beside the 12 Rifle Companies (3,078 officers and men) 
it includes: 


1 Head¬ 
quarters . 
Company 


1 Headquar¬ 
ters 

Platoon 


1 Signal 
Platoon 


1 Sappers & 
Bombers 
Platoon 


1 Staff Section (36) 

1 Orderlies Section (29) l 
1 Band (28) 

fl Telephone Section (51)^ 

J 2 Signal Sections t 

1 1 with battalion (16) f 

l 1 with headqtrs. (10) J 


1 Section Sappers, for 
digging (9) 

1 Section Bombers (34) 


1 Pioneer Platoon 


1 One-Pounder Platoon . 

Total, 7 officers, 294 men 


93 

77 

43 

55 

33 


1 Supply 
Company 


\ Charge of supplies and regi- 
mental train. 3 


Officers. Men. 

137 






OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


17 


Officers. Men. 

Headquarters Section . 3 21 

1 Machine J 3 Platoons (each 1 officer, 

Gun Company ] 46 men) ... 3 138 


Train . 13 

6 172 


Its armament consists of 12 machine guns of heavy 
type and 4 spare guns. 

Therefore, at maximum strength, an Infantry Regi¬ 
ment, for overseas service, comprises: 

1 Headquarters and headquarters Company, includ¬ 


ing Colonel and Lieut. Colonel. 303 

3 Battalions (4 rifle companies each). 3,078 

1 Supply Company . 140 

1 Machine Gun Company. 178 

1 Medical Detachment . 56 


3,755 

103 officers; 3,652 men. 

The transportation equipment of an infantry regiment 
has also become much more elaborate than is generally 
thought by people not fully acquainted with military mat¬ 
ters. It consists of: 

22 combat wagons 
16 rolling kitchens 
22 baggage and ration wagons 
16 ration carts 
15 water carts 
3 medical carts 
24 machine-gun carts 
59 riding horses 
8 riding mules 
332 draft mules 

2 motorcycles with side cars 
1 motor car 
42 bicycles 












18 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


The armament of a regiment is no more limited to 
rifles, bayonets and revolvers. It includes also: 480 
trench knives (40 to each company), 192 automatic rifles 
(16 to each company), and 3 one-pounder cannon manned 
by the one-pounder cannon platoon of the regimental 
headquarters company. 

Two or three Regiments form a Brigade, under a 
Brigadier General. 

Two or three Brigades form a Division, under a Major 
General. 


CAVALRY 

It is the Cavalry’s duty to explore and reconnoitre; to 
surprise the enemy by charges and flank movements; and 
to pursue it when 'it is defeated. In trench warfare, this 
arm is of little use, and often fights as infantry. 

The regular fighting unit of Cavalry is the Troop, 
which corresponds to the Company of Infantry and con¬ 
sists of: 

3 officers and 105 men. 

The Squadron, corresponding to the Battalion of In¬ 
fantry, has 4 Troops. 

The Regiment of Cavalry has 3 Squadrons; its war 
strength is: 

1579 officers and men (including Medical Depart¬ 
ment) 

37 wagons 

1541 horses (riding) 

187 mules 

These figures include, of course, a Headquarters Com- 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 19 

pany, a Supply Company, and a Machine Gun Company of 
6 guns. 

The net length of a Cavalry Regiment in column of 
fours is 2,134 yards, and with its trains, 2,478 yards. 


ARTILLERY 

This arm is divided into two branches: 

The Coast Artillery and the Field Artillery. 

Coast Artillery 

It consists of Foot Companies whose duty it is to serve 
the stationary guns of the coast defense, to “plant” mines 
in the harbors, etc. 

The effective of these units is not uniform, for it has 
to vary according to the needs of the service in their dis¬ 
trict. 

The Companies of Coast Artillery are grouped into 
Districts which cover the whole line of sea coasts of the 
United States, the Philippines and Hawaii. 

Coast Artillery is a very interesting branch of the 
service, because of the variety and scientific character of 
its duties. Each unit counts many specialists, such as 
electricians, radio-sergeants, observers, plotters, cox¬ 
swains, etc. 

Field Artillery 

It is the most important arm after the Infantry. It 
prepares and supports the attack; and, by its “curtain 
fire” in trench warfare, prevents hostile reinforcements 
from reaching the firing line. Unlike the Coast Artillery, 
it is mobile and accompanies the Army everywhere; for 
that purpose it is divided into light, heavy, horse and 
mountain batteries. 



20 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Remarks: In order to understand the following explana¬ 
tions, the reader must be familiar with a few 
technical terms: 

1. The gun carriage is the two wheeled vehicle support¬ 
ing the gun. 

2. The limber is, so to speak, the tractor of the gun 
carriage; it is a two-wheeled vehicle to which the horses 
are hitched, and which supports an ammunition chest. To 
fire, the gun must be unlimbered. 

3. The caisson is the ammunition wagon. Like a gun, 
it has a limber. In action, the caisson is unlimbered and 
placed close to the gun. 

4. A mortar is a piece designed to reach the target 
from above, with a steep angle of fall, in order to search 
trenches, and destroy overhead covers. In the United 
States it is used only for Coast defense. 

5. A howitzer is intermediate between a gun and a 
mortar. It is used to reach, by means of a curved fire, the 
personnel shielded behind the guns. The field howitzers 
are used by the mobile artillery. 

6. A trench mortar is a small mortar, firing torpedoes 
at a short range. It is often placed in the first line 
trenches and used to prepare the infantry attack by crush¬ 
ing down hostile dugouts, machine gun shelters, destroy¬ 
ing wire entanglements'and, in a general way, doing ar¬ 
tillery work which requires extreme accuracy and there¬ 
fore cannot be effected by guns firing at long range. 

Light Artillery —It is the standard type of Field Ar¬ 
tillery. Guns and caissons are horse drawn; the drivers 
are mounted; the cannoneers (or gun crews) are carried 
on the caissons, limbers and gun carriages. 

Most light batteries are armed with the three-inch 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


21 


rapid fire gim. A certain number have a heavier piece, 
the 3.8-inch howitzer. 

The regular fighting unit of Field Artillery is the 
Battery, which corresponds to the Company of Infantry. 
It is divided into Sections commanded by a non-commis¬ 
sioned officer; the* first four sections are each in charge of 
a gun; they form two Platoons of 2 guns; the Platoon is 
as a rule commanded by a Lieutenant. 

The field battery has usually 5 officers and 190 men, 
but the requirements of the present war may bring some 
changes to these figures as well as to the detailed table 
given below and which may, at any rate, give a fairly 
accurate idea of the composition of such a unit.* 

1 Captain 

1 First Lieutenant 

2 Second Lieutenants 
1 First Sergeant 

1 Mess Sergeant 
1 Supply Sergeant 
1 Stable Sergeant 
9 Sergeants 
20 Corporals 
1 Chief Mechanic 

Battery of Field Artillery 3 Horseshoers 

(maximum strength) “j 3 Mechanics 

1 Saddler 

3 Cooks 

3 Buglers 

31 Privates, first class 
108 Privates 

4 Guns 

12 Caissons 
1 Battery Wagon 
1 Store Wagon 
1 Reel Cart / 

47 Horses, riding 
^116 Horses, draft 

♦Many details have to be withheld at present for military reasons. 




22 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Three batteries form a Battalion, commanded by a 
major; and two battalions, as a rule, constitute a Regi¬ 
ment, commanded by a Colonel . 

Three Regiments of Field Artillery make a Brigade 
(one Regiment being armed with 3.8-inch howitzers). 

Heavy Artillery. —The regiments of this branch of the 
arm are provided with guns of 4.7 inches and 6-inch how¬ 
itzers, and sometimes with 4.7-inch howitzers. Some of 
these pieces require eight horses. Some Heavy Batteries 
are motor driven. 

Horse Artillery. —In these batteries, which are armed 
with the regular 3-inch gun, cannoneers are mounted in¬ 
stead of being carried on the caissons. These units are 
very mobile and are attached to Cavalry Divisions. 

Mountain Artillery. —In these batteries, guns and am¬ 
munition chests are carried on pack mules. The guns 
(2.95 inches) are very short, but more powerful than they 
look. 

An artillery regiment, besides its batteries, has a head¬ 
quarters company and a supply company. 


ENGINEERS 

The Engineers’ arm has become, in our days, a most 
important branch of the Army. It is its duty to improve 
and repair the roads; to construct and operate military 
railroads; to build ponton bridges; to organize defen¬ 
sively villages and other covers; to dig trenehes and 
mines; to operate searchlights, etc. 

Under the new organization which took place in Au¬ 
gust, 1917, the Regiment of Engineers which is attached to 
each Division of Infantry numbers 1,666 officers and men. 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


23 


Besides its regimental wagons, the regiment has a special 
train, which forms a part of the Divisional Train, and 
consists of a headquarters and supply section. 

This is the organization required by the present meth¬ 
od of warfare. In case of a “war of movement’’—that is 
to say, of operations in the open, without trenches, the 
Engineer- Train of each Division comprises also: 

1 Ponton Section 
1 Searchlight Section. 

The divisional regiments of Engineers are by no means 
the only ones in the service. The requirements of over¬ 
seas operations have brought about the formation of 
many other regiments, or separate battalions and compa¬ 
nies. The following list, compiled from General Order 
108, of August 15, War Department, may help the reader 
nifold duties of the modern army engi- 

hall have: 

1 regiment 

S 1 regimental headquarters 
l 6 companies 

) 6 companies 

1 regimental headquarters 

1 regimental headquarters 
6 companies 


*Army, here, means a group of Army Corps (as a rule, 2 or 3); 
each of the latter consisting in turn of 2 or 3 Divisions. See page 94 
for the new F,ield Army formation. 


to realize the ma 

neer: 

Each Army* s 

1. Gas and 
Flame 
service 

2. Mining 
service 

3. Water 
Supply 
service 

4. General 
Construction 
service 



24 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


i). 


G. 


Engineer 

Supply 

service 



Surveying and 

Printing 

service 


Road service < 


1 

1 

4 

6 

10 


5 


regimental headquarters 
battalion (supply) of 3 cos. 
battalion (workshop) «of 3 cos. 
service battalion of 4 cos. 


battalion (typographical) 

regimental headquarters 
battalions (road) of 3 cos. each 
service battalions of 4 cos. each 
truck companies (31 trucks each) 
wagon companies (61 wagons each) 


8. Army Ponton 
Park 


j 3 Ponton divisions 
l 1 Supply division 


In addition is the Service of the Line of Communica¬ 
tion , which comprises: 


1. General 
Construction 
service 

2. Engineer 
Supply 
service 

3. Forestry 
service 

4. Quarry 
service 


( 1 regimental headquarters 

-j 6 construction companies 

( 6 service battalions of 4 cos. each 

( 1 regimental headquarters 
J 2 supply battalions of 3 cos. each 
| 2 workshop battalions of 3 cos. each 
[ 3 service battalions of 4 cos. each 

( 1 regimental headquarters 
\ 10 battalions (forestry) of 3 cos. each 
( 9 service battalions of 4 cos. each 

) 1 regimental headquarters 

2 battalions (quarry) of 3 cos. each 
3 service battalions of 4 cos. each 


5. Light 
Railway 
service 


Construction 

Department 

Operation & 

Mechanical 

Department 


| 1 regimental headquarters 
^ 5 battalions (Ry.) 3 cos. ea. 
( 3 service bat., 4 cos. ea. 

(1 regimental headquarters 
j 4 battalions (Ry.) 3 cos. ea. 
( 3 service bat., 4 cos. ea. 




OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


25 


6. Standard 
Gauge 
Railway 
service 


Construction j 5 regiments (railway)* 
Department ( 8 service bat., 4 cos. ea. 

Operation & (2 regimental headquarters 
Maintenance 6 battalions (Ry.)3 cos. ea. 
Department (3 service bat., 4 cos. ea. 

' Mechanical ( 1 regiment (shop)f 
I and Supplies < 1 battalion (Ry.), 3 cos. 

L Department ( 1 service battalion, 4 cos. 


In September, 1917, more units'were created, including: 
4 fortification battalions 


5 electrical regiments 
5 inland-waterway companies 
3 map reproduction detachments 


1 Engineer 
Depot 
Sujjplfi 
Service 


" 125 master engineers, senior grade 
(general depot superintendents 
and engineer inspectors) 

125 master engineers, junior grade 
(shipping clerks, receiving 
clerks, draftsmen, and instru¬ 
ment inspectors) 

125 sergeants, first class (clerks and 
stenographers and head car¬ 
penters) 

^ 250 sergeants (head packers, clerks, 
stenographers and sergeants in 
charge of detachment camps, 
etc.) 

250 corporals (packers, in charge of 
transportation of depots, head 
watchmen) 

250 wagoners 

250 privates, first class (skilled work¬ 
men) 

_500 privates 


*11 th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th Engineers (railway) of the National 
Army. 

|19th Engineers (railway), National Army. 





26 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Note. —As. regards the effective of the engineer units 
above mentioned, one may refer to the following (G. O. 
118, War Department) : 


Regimental headquarters 


Battalion headquarters 


1 colonel 
1 lieut. colonel 
3 captains 
38 enlisted men 

1 major 

2 captains 

1 first lieutenant 
24 enlisted men 


1 


43 


28 


Company of Engineers 


f 1 captain 
j 3 first lieutenants 

1 2 second lieutenants 

[250 enlisted men 


256 


Army Ponton Park 


1 first lieutenant ) 

1 second lieutenant [- 183 
181 enlisted men ) 


Service 

Battalion 


Battalion 

Headquarters 


4 


4 Service Cos., 
each of 


f 1 major 
J 1 first lieutenant 
I 1 second lieutenant 
l 6 enlisted men 

r 1 captain 
J 1 first lieutenant 
] 1 second lieutenant 

250 men 


Total for battalion, 1,021 officers and men. 

These Service Battalions and Companies are composed, 
so to speak, of unskilled men whose duties do not require 
* any special engineering knowledge. Therefore, these 
units will be transferred from one service to another as 




OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


27 


may be necessary. They are sometimes called, familiarly, 
labor companies, but should not be confounded with the 
labor companies (colored) of the Quartermaster Depart¬ 
ment. 

One may judge of the progressive increase in the ef¬ 
fective of our army during the last two years by the fact 
that, before 1916, there were only two battalions of Engi¬ 
neers in the regular establishment, and a little more than a 
regiment in the National Guard. 

The Act of 1916 called for seven Regiments in the 
Regular Army. Eighteen Reserve Regiments were organ¬ 
ized when the war broke out, and a few months after¬ 
wards the creation of 25 additional ones was authorized. 

The Act of 1916 provides for the creation of Mounted 
Battalions of Engineers to accompany the Cavalry Divi¬ 
sions. 


SIGNAL CORPS 

This service has charge of everything pertaining to the 
transmission of orders or information by means of signals, 
including telegraph, w r ireless and telephone. One of its 
most important departments is the Aviation Service. 

(a) Field Signal Battalion. 

It consists of: 

1 Headquarters Company 
1 Supply Company 
1 Wire Company 
1 Radio Company 
1 Outpost Company 

The normal composition of the battalion (one per divi¬ 
sion) is: 



28 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


262 officers and men, including medical department 
16 wagons 
170 horses (riding) 

16 horses (draft) 

53 mules 

Yet these figures may vary, for it is contemplated to 
increase the effective at the Outpost Company of each 
Field Signal Battalion from 75 to 280 enlisted men in 
order to meet the requirement of trench warfare. This 
would increase the Battalion effective to 464 officers and 
men. 

At any rate, the creation of 51 Field Signal Battalions 
is contemplated for the Regular Army, the National 
Guard and the National Army. The total effective of the 
corps would be 31,921 officers and men. 

Depot Companies for the Regular Army and the Signal 
Reserve Corps have been organized, from which men are 
taken to keep at full war strength the active units. 

(b) Aero Squadron. 

This unit has 12 aeroplanes. It is divided as follows: 

1 Headquarters Section 
1 Supply Section 
1 Engineering Section 
12 Aero-sections 

with a total of 173 officers and men (including Medical 
Department), 50 motors or trailers. 

Each aeroplane is provided with a Machine Gun. 

In principle, there is one Field Signal Battalion and 
one Aero-Squadron attached to each Infantry Division. 
But the new divisional organization, for overseas ser¬ 
vice, does not include the Aero-Squadron. The different 
aircraft units, in a war of position, can be more efficient 
if grouped so as to form a separate command. 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


29 


Besides these divisional units, there are some which 
belong to the Corps Troops —that is to say, troops at large, 
attached to Army Corps (See Part IV., Tactical Organ¬ 
ization). Such are the Telegraph Battalions. 

There is also a certain number of Signal Corps Reserve 
Field Battalions which have been called into active service 
and assigned to the sixteen existing Divisions of the Na¬ 
tional Army.* They are attached to the Field Signal 
Battalions of these Divisions. Likewise, 12 Signal Corps 
Reserve Telegraph Battalions have been assigned as corps 
troops to different cantonments.f 


MEDICAL CORPS 

Roughly speaking, this service may be divided into two 
branches—the Medical Departments attached to the dif¬ 
ferent units, and the Sanitary Formations. 

Each regiment and each separate battalion or company 
has a Medical Department proportional to its effective. 
For instance, the medical service of an Infantry Regi¬ 
ment (new organization) consists of 56 officers and men; 
that of a Service Battalion of Engineers comprises only 
2 officers, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals and 12 men. 

The Sanitary Formations include the Ambulance Com¬ 
panies, the Field Hospitals and other units. 

There are, as a rule, four Ambulance Companies and 
four Field Hospital Companies attached to each Infantry 
Division, with a total effective of 949 officers and men. 

*Nos. 1 to 3; 6 to 8; 13, 15 to 20, 22, 24 and 27. 
fNos. 3, 4, 5, 9 and 12 have been attached to Telegraph Battalions 
Nos. 401 to 405; the seven others have become themselves Telegraph 
Battalions Nos. 406 to 412. 




30 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


An Ambulance Company has, generally, 12 ambulances, 
either motor driven or animal drawn, and a personnel of 
about 150 men. 

There is, besides, a certain number of U. S. Army 
Ambulance Sections not attached to Divisions. These 
units, consisting each of 5 officers, 12 sergeants, 5 me¬ 
chanics, 4 cooks, 2 musicians, 20 chauffeurs and 43 pri¬ 
vates, are intended for the transportation of the sick and 
wounded. They may have to man hospital railroad trains 
or boats. Lastly, there are Base Hospitals, located a long 
distance in the rear of the zone of operations and to which 
the sick and wounded are transferred from the Field 
Hospitals. 

TRAINS AND QUARTERMASTER CORPS 

The question of supplies is much more important and 
intricate than most civilians generally realize. Thb or¬ 
ganization of Trains is very elaborate, and their opera¬ 
tion require a large personnel. 

To get a comprehensive idea of the subject, one should 
bear in mind that there are two kinds of Trains—the 
special Train of each unit, and the Divisional (or general) 
T^rain. 

The former is composed of regimental w r agons. It is 
divided in two parts. 

(a) The Combat Train, composed of ammunition or 
supply wagons which the unit may need during a battle; 
therefore it stands at a short’distance in the rear of the 
firing line. 

(b) The Field Train, for rations and baggage, which 
remains at a safe distance in the rear. 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


31 


The Supply Company of a regiment is in charge of the 
greatest part of these trains. 

Quite different is the Divisional Train of an Infantry 
Division. It is a branch of the QUARTERMASTER ser¬ 
vice, and is commanded, like a regiment, by a Colonel. 

It consists of: 

Headquarters and Military Police (2 companies) 

1 Ammunition Train (6 companies) 

1 Supply Train (3 sections) 

1 Engineer Train 

1 Sanitarv Train f 4 Ambulance Companies 
1 bamtary I ram | 4 Field Hospital Companies 

The Engineer and Sanitary Trains have been described 
heretofore. They belong, in fact, to their respective 
branches of service, but join the Divisional Trains when 
marching. Their effective is 1,033 officers and men, which, 
added to the 1,771 of the trains proper, makes a grand 
total of 2,804 officers and men for the Divisional Trains. 
The Trains, complete, for a single Division, on the road, 
cover over four miles. When the train is motorized the 
companies above mentioned are called Motor Companies. 

However, trains are only a branch of the Quarter¬ 
master Department. The duties of the latter are most 
complex. All units or services that have to deal with the 
procurement, or the handling, of food, forage, supplies, 
tentage, the repairing of materiel, the care of quarters, the 
transportation, etc., are attached to that department. 

Here follows a list, as complete as possible under the 
circumstances, of Quartermaster Corps units, most of 
which were created in view of overseas service (number 
of units subject to change) : 


32 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


| 1 first lieut. 

3 Motorcycle Companies j 1' second lieut. 

I 37 men 

Motor Track Companies* 

74 Bakery Companies 

Several Ice Plant 
Companies 

8 Supply Companies 


6 Mechanical Repair Shops J 24 first lieut. 

24 second lieut. 
1163 menj 

| 1 officer } 

{ 25 men J 

S 1 lieutenant } 

| 76 men { 

. 1 major ) 

j 7 lieutenants \ 

( 464 men ) 


100 Machine Shop 

Truck Companies 
32 Motor Shop 

Truck Companies 

6 Motor Supply 
Trains 

Several Pack Train 
Companies 


1 first lieut. 

1 second lieut. 
101 menf 
15 officers 
335 men 
1 captain 
1 first lieut. 

1 second lieut. 
250 men 

1 major 
5 cantains 


l 


each 

each 

each 

each 

each 

each 

each 

each 


*There are many such units. Their effective vary. Many consist of 
about 1 officer, 53 men, 30 trucks, and have a net cargo capacity of 
some 80,000 pounds. 

fl quartermaster’s sergeant, 23 sergeants, 15 corporals, 2 cooks, 
60 privates. 

$These “shops” are very important units, even though they are but 
little known outside of the Army. The enlisted force of each of these 
six units comprises: Quartermaster sergeants, senior grade, 6; quar¬ 
termaster sergeants, 40; sergeants, first class, 30; first sergeant, 1; mess 
sergeants, 3; supply sergeants, 3; sergeants, 290; corporals, 116; cooks, 
22; buglers, 8; privates, first class, 510; privates, 134; total, 1,163. 




OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


33 


In spite of the motorization of many trains and the 
temporary suppression of the divisional regiments of cav¬ 
alry, the Remount of the Army during the present war is 
still an important branch of the Quartermaster Depart¬ 
ment and necessitated the formation of the following 
units: 


1 Field Remount Depot 
No. 351, 

(National Army) 


33 Auxiliary Remount 
Depots ,* each 


1 major 
1 captain 
1 first lieutenant 
1 second lieutenant 
^261 men 

1 major 
1 captain 
1 first lieutenant 
1 second lieutenant 
several veterinarians 
53 sergeants 
13 corporals 
-232 privates 


The transportation of animals overseas has made nec¬ 
essary the formation of: 

1 major 
1 captain 
1 first lieutenant 

1 Animal Embarkation J 1 second lieutenant 
Department several veterinarians 

39 sergeants 
11 corporals 
-211 privates 


On account of the importance of the Port of Embarka¬ 
tion at Hoboken, N. J., it has been created: 


*As a rule, one per Division. Additional ones may be organized. 






34 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


1 Embarkation Guard 
and Fire Company 


1 captain 

5 first lieutenants 
5 second lieutenants 
20 sergeants 
20 corporals 

2 cooks 
103 privates 


Likewise, the large number of wooden buildings in the 
cantonments of the National Army, and the remoteness of 
these camps from cities possessing adequate fire fighting 
organizations have compelled the Quartermaster Depart¬ 
ment to organize, in each of the 16 permanent canton¬ 
ments : 


1 Fire Truck and 
Hose Company 


f 1 first lieut. 
1 25 men 


S 7 sergeants 
1 18 privates 


(Total for the 16 cantonments, 16 officers, 400 men) 

One of the grim requirements of war is the providing 
for expeditive and decent burial of the men who die at the 
front. This is intrusted to: 


4 Graves’ Designation f } captain 1 

Companies ®“ond lleut j each 

The Quartermaster Department is using the services 
of colored soldiers in the quality of stevedores and la¬ 
borers. In August, 1917, it was decided to organize: 

Four Stevedore Regiments, each consisting of the follow¬ 
ing: 


64 Officers 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


35 


White 


21 sergeants 
18 privates 


Colored, 12 Companies, 
each of 


1 first sergeant 
1 mess sergeant 

1 supply sergeant 
5 sergeants 

20 corporals 

2 mechanics 

3 wagoners 
.3 cooks 

2 buglers 


!- 


200 


_162 privates 


J 


Total for each regiment , 2,503 officers and men 
(Number of regiments subject to change) 

Twenty-four Labor Companies , each consisting of the fol¬ 
lowing : 



White 


Colored 


. (same as for Stevedore company) 

Total per company, 204 officers and men 


Veterinary Corps .—Lately organized in the National 
Army for the period of the existing emergency, consists 
approximately of 1 officer and 16 enlisted men for each 
400 animals in service. Each group of 200 enlisted men 
of that corps will have 5 sergeants, first class; 10 ser¬ 
geants, 10 corporals, 40 farriers, 2 horseshoers, 1 saddler, 
3 cooks, 43 privates, first class; 86 privates. 







36 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


ARMY HEADQUARTERS 


A General Headquarters, in case of war, must be 
organized so as to be independent from the Divisions or 
Army Corps composing its forces. 

In the present emergency a General Order, No. 124, 
of September 20, 1917, gives the organization of that ser¬ 
vice in France. 

1. Officers (number subject to change) attached for duty 

at the headquarters 

2. Civilian Employees (number subject to change) 


9 Regimental 
Sergeants 
major 


. 1 

s x iciu artillery.. 2 
j Coast Artillery.. 1 
| Engineers . 1 



Infantrv . 4 


3. Non- 

commisioned 

Officers 


" Infantry .12 

Cavalry . 

, Field Artillery.. 
Coast Artillery- 
Engineers . 


27 Battalion 


Sergeants 

major 


Cn to Ci to 










OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELI 


37 


4. One Army 
Headquarters 
Troop (cavalry) 


5. One Motor- 
Truck Company 
(Quartermaster Corps) 


captain 

first lieutenants 

second lieutenants 

first sergeant 

mess sergeants 

supply sergeants 

stable sergeants 

sergeants 

corporals 

horseshoers 

mechanics 

saddlers 

cooks 

buglers 

privates (first class) 
privates 

riding horses 
motor cars 

motorcycles with side cars 

rifles 

pistols 


first lieutenant 

sergeant, first class 

sergeants 

corporals 

cooks 

privates, first class 
privates 

trucks, cargo 
trucks, tank 
truck, repair 

truck, baggage and ration 

motor car 

rifles 

pistols 


1 

3 

3 

1 

4 

4 

2 

8 

16 

4 

4 

3 

10 

2 

133 

267 

160 

70 

30 

445 

376 

1 

1 

6 

32 

2 

12 

23 

27 

2 

1 

1 

1 

74 

3 




PART IV. 


Tactical Organization 

The standard Tactical Unit in the U. S. Army is the 
Division of Infantry, which is so organized as to be self- 
supporting. 

As organized by the Tables of 1917 it consisted of: 


Headquarters . 153 

3 Brigades (9 regiments) of Infantry. .. 18,579 

1 Brigade (3 regiments) of Artillery. 4,030 

1 Regiment of Cavalry. 1,579 

1 Regiment of Engineers. 1,098 

1 Field Signal Battalion. 259 

1 Aero-Squadron . 173 

Divisional Train . 2,385 


Officers and men.*. 28,256 

Total combatants . 26,782 


However, this type of Infantry Division was found 
unwieldy for service in the present trench warfare. 
There were too many regiments of infantry and the ef¬ 
fective of each of these was too small. Cavalry was not 
necessary; the Aero-Squadrons of the different Divisions 
were thought to be more efficient if grouped together. 
New units, on the other hand, were deemed necessary. 

Therefore, the new type of Infantry Division consists 
of TWO Infantry Brigades (instead of 3) ; and the Brig¬ 
ade has TWO regiments of Infantry only (instead of 3). 
The divisional Regiment of Cavalry is temporarily de¬ 
tached or transformed into foot units. The divisional 
Aero-Squadron, the Searchlight and Ponton Sections of 
the Engineer Train are temporarily detached. 


38 












OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 39 

On the other hand, each Brigade of Infantry has 
three Machine Gun Companies (instead of one*) ; one 
Battalion of machine guns at four companies, and one 
Trench Mortar Battery are added to each division, it 
must be noticed that, as the number of Divisional Field 
Batteries is not changed, while the effective of the In¬ 
fantry is reduced, the ratio of Artillery to Infantry is 
greatly increased (Three Regiments of Artillery—72 guns 
or howitzers—to every four regiments of Infantry). 

In short, the NEW TYPE OF INFANTRY DIVISION 
for European warfare, as organized by General Order 
No. 101, August 3, 1917, is as follows (officers and men): 


1 division headquarters . 164 

1 machine gun battalion of 4 companies. 768 

2 infantry brigades, each composed of 2 infantry 

regiments and 1 machine-gun battalion of 3 

companies . 16,420 

1 field artillery brigade, composed of 3 field ar¬ 
tillery regiments and 1 trench mortar battery.... 5,068 

1 field signal battalion. 262 

1 regiment of engineers. 1,666 

1 train headquarters and military police. 337 

1 ammunition train . 962 

1 supply train . 472 

1 engineer train . 84 

1 sanitary train, composed of 4 field hospital com¬ 
panies and 4 ambulance companies. 949 


f27,152 

The length of a Division, in column of route, is about 
twenty miles—a little less if trains are motorized. 


*This makes one •Machine Gun Battalion per brigade, besides the 
Machine Gun Companies belonging to the regiments of the Brigade. 

fPlus one Field Remount Depot of 272 officers and enlisted men for 
each two combatant Divisions abroad. \ 














40 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Remark. —As the smaller sized divisions call for main¬ 
tenance of all units at full fighting strength, a certain 
number of Reserve Battalions called “Separate Training 
Battalions,” of 612 men each, will act as depots for the 
different Divisions (Regular Army, National Guard, and 
National Army). They are organized into Depot Brig¬ 
ades. 

The Cavalry Regiments which are not attached to an 
Infantry Division are grouped into Brigades of 3 regi¬ 
ments, and Cavalry Divisions of 3 Brigades (9 regiments). 

The units attached to such a Division are mounted as 
far as practicable. The composition of a Cavalry Division 
is as follows: 


Headquarters . 150 

3 Cavalry Brigades . 14,268 

1 Horse Artillery Regiment. 1,374 

1 Battalion of Mounted Engineers. 387 

1 Field Signal Battalion, mounted. 259 

1 Aero Squadron . 173 

Divisional Train . 1,553 


Officers and men. 18,164 


In the present war the Regular Army may form two 
Cavalry Divisions; the National Army (drafted), two. 

In time of war Army Corps may be organized. 

An Army Corps consists of: 

2 or 3 Infantry Divisions 
1 Brigade to 1 Division of Cavalry 
1 Brigade (3 regiments) of Heavy Artillery 
1 Telegraph Battalion (Signal Corps) 

1 Field Signal Battalion 
Army Corps Train 











OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


41 


Note.— Three or more Army Corps may be grouped 
into an Army. 


UNITED STATES GUARDS. 

This organization, created by General Order 162, De¬ 
cember 22, 1917, is intended to replace, to some extent, as 
a police force, the National Guard units which have been 
federalized. It belongs to the National Army and is main¬ 
tained by enlistments or draft not to exceed 25,000 men. 
These units are formed into battalions of four companies. 
They receive blue uniforms and are supplied with machine 
guns, Krag-Jorgensen rifles, caliber .30, and revolvers, 
caliber .38. 


PART V. 


Territorial Areas 

For administration, recruiting and other purposes, the 

territory of the United States is divided into SIX MILI¬ 
TARY DEPARTMENTS: 

A —Northeastern Department—Headquarters at Boston. 

B —Eastern Department—Headquarters at Governor’s 
Island, N. Y. 

C— Southeastern Department—Headquarters at Charles¬ 
ton, S. C. 

D —Central Department—Headquarters at Chicago. 

E —Southern Department—Headquarters at Fort Sam 
Houston, Texas. 

F —Western Department—Headquarters at San Fran¬ 
cisco.* 


At first, for recruiting and mobilizing purposes, it was 
decided to organize the Army as follows: 

Regular Army, Divisions 1 to 4, inclusive. 

National Guard, Divisions 5 to 20, inclusive. 

This organization, however, which was based upon 
plans made by the War College a few years ago, was soon 
changed, because it was not adequate to the requirements 
of the present war.f 

*There are special Departments for the Philippines, Hawaii and 
Panama. 

fUnder that plan, the respective areas of the NATIONAL GUARD 
DIVISIONS were as follows: 


42 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 43 

Division 5—Maine; New Hampshire; Massachusetts; Connecticut; 
Rhode Island; Vermont. 

Division 6—New York. 

Division 7—Pennsylvania. 

Division 8—New Jersey; Delaware; Maryland; District of Colum¬ 
bia; Virginia. 

Division 9—North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee. 

Division 10—Alabama; Georgia; Florida. 

Division 11—Michigan; Wisconsin. 

Division 12—Illinois. 

Division 13—Minnesota; North Dakota; Iowa. 

Division 14—Kansas; Missouri. 

Division 15—Texas; Oklahoma. 

Division 16—Ohio; West Virginia. 

Division 17—Kentucky; Indiana. 

Division 18—Arkansas; Mississippi; Louisiana. 

Division 19—California; Utah; Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico; 
Nevada. 

Division 20—Washington; Oregon; Montana; Idaho; Wyoming. 

The area of the NATIONAL ARMY DIVISIONS (drafted) was 
the same as that of the National Guard, with the following exceptions: 

1. The number of Divisions run from 1 to 16 (1 corresponding to 5 
of the above table, and so forth; 16 corresponding to the last National 
Guard Area). 

2. Second Division—New York Congressional Districts 1 to- 26 (in¬ 
cluding Long Island, New York City and a strip north of the city. 

3. Third Division—Remainder of New York State and Pennsylvania 
Congressional Districts 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 21, 25, and 28. 

4. Fourth Division—Remainder of Pennsylvania State, including 
Philadelphia and Pittsburg. 


The new organization of August, 1917, in as far as the 
National Guard and the National Army are concerned, has 
kept the number of Divisions down to 32 (16 for the 
former and as many for the latter). However, there has 
been since created a seventeenth Division of the National 


44 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Guard (No. 42)—the “Rainbow Division”—consisting of 

units from twenty-six States.* 

TRAINING CAMPS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD 
AND NATIONAL ARMY 

NATIONAL GUARD 

26th Division—Camp Greene, Charlotte, N. C. (New Eng¬ 
land National Guard). 

27th Division—Camp Wadsworth, Spartansburg, S. C. 
(New York National Guard). 

28th Division—Camp Hancock, Augusta, Ga. (Pennsyl¬ 
vania National Guard). 

29th Division—Camp McClellan, Anniston, Ala. (National 
Guard of New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Dela¬ 
ware and District of Columbia). 

30th Division—Camp Sevier, Greenville, S. C. (National 
Guard of Tennessee, North Carolina and South 
Carolina). 

31st Division—Camp Wheeler, Macon, Ga. (National 
Guard of Alabama, Georgia and Florida). 

32d Division—Camp McArthur, Waco, Texas (National 
Guard of Michigan and Wisconsin). 

33d Division—Camp Logan, Houston, Texas (National 
Guard of Illinois). 

34th Division—Camp Cody, Deming, N. M. (National 
Guard of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Da¬ 
kota and South Dakota). 

35th Division—Camp Doniphan, Fort Sill, Okla. (Na¬ 
tional Guard of Missouri and Kansas). 

36th Division—Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas (Na¬ 
tional Guard of Texas and Oklahoma). 

37th Division—Camp Sheridan, Montgomery, Ala. (Na¬ 
tional Guard of Ohio and West Virginia). 

38th Division—Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Miss. (Na¬ 
tional Guard of Indiana and Kentucky). 


Others might be organized. 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


45 


39th Division—Camp Beauregard, Alexandria, La. (Na¬ 
tional Guard of Louisiana, Mississippi and Ar¬ 
kansas). 

40th Division—Camp Kearney, Linda Vista, Cal. (Na¬ 
tional Guard of California, Nevada, Utah, Ari¬ 
zona and New Mexico). 

41st Division—Camp Greene, Charlotte, N. C. (National 
Guard of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho 
and Wyoming). 

To which must be added the “Rainbow Division,” or 42d, 
assembled and trained at Mineola, L. I. 

NATIONAL ARMY 

76th Division—Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. (Maine, New 
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, 
Rhode Island, New York. Total, 43,438). 

77th Division—Camp Upton, Yaphank, L. I. (New York. 
Total, 43,000). 

78th Division—Camp Dix, Wrightstown, N. J. (New Jer¬ 
sey, Delaware, New York. Total, 42,108). 

79th Division—Camp Meade, Annapolis Junction, Md. 
(District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Maryland. 
Total, 40,884). 

80th Division—Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va. (Virginia, 
Pennsylvania, West Virginia. Total, 47,086). 

81st Division—Camp Jackson, Columbia, S. C. (South 
Carolina, North Carolina, Porto Rico, Florida. 
Total, 45,213). 

82d Division—Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga. (Tennessee, 
Georgia, Alabama. Total, 40,785). 

83d Division—Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio (Ohio, 
Pennsylvania. Total, 42,773). 

84th Division—Camp Taylor, Louisville, Ky. (Kentucky, 
Indiana, Illinois. Total, 41,880). 

85th Division—Camp Custer, Battle Creek, Mich. (Michi¬ 
gan, Wisconsin. Total, 35,496). 

86th Division—Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill. (Wisconsin, 
Illinois. Total, 39,187). 


46 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


87th Division—Camp Pike, Little Rock, Ark. (Arkansas, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama. Total, 40,342). 
88th Division—Camp Dodge, Des Moines, la. (North Da¬ 
kota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois. Total, 45,712). 
89th Division—Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kan. (Kansas, 
Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New 
Mexico, Arizona. Total, 46,518). 

90th Division—Camp Travis, Fort Sam Houston, San 
Antonio, Tex. (Texas, Oklahoma. Total, 46,109). 
91st Division—Camp Lewis, American Lake, Wash. 

(Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, 
Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Utah. Total, 46,159). 

Besides, there are several Training Camps for special 
branches or for officers. For instance, at Ft. Myer, Va.; 
Plattsburg, N. Y.; Ft. Riley, Kan., for officers; Camp J. E. 
Johnston, near Jacksonville, Fla., for the Quartermaster 
Department; Medical Training Camp at Ft. Oglethorpe, 
Ga.; Ambulance Camp at Allentown, Pa.; Camp Merritt, 
near Tenafly, N. J. (base and depot), etc. 


IMPORTANT REMARKS 


1. In case all the Divisions contemplated are organ¬ 
ized during the war, the number of Regiments, etc., will 
be as follows: 


Regular 

Army 


{ Infantry . 100 Regiments 

Field Artillery (Divisional). 75 “ 

Engineers . 25 “ 


National 

Guard 


National 

Army 


("Infantry . 200 Regiments 

J Field Artillery (Divisional). 150 “ 

] Engineers . 50 “ 

[Signal Corps (Field). 50 Battalions 


flnfantry . 64 Regiments 

j Field Artillery (Divisional). 48 “ 

[Signal Corps (Field). 16 Battalions 










OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


47 


2. Divisions and Brigades are numbered as follows: 


Divisions. Brigades.* 

Regular Army . 1 to 25 1 to 50 

National Guard . 26 to 75 51 to 150 

National Army. 76 up 151 up 

3. Regiments are numbered as follows: 

Regular Army .. 1 up f For Infantry, Cavalry, 

National Guard . 101 up < Field Artillery, 

National Army . 301 up Engineers 


This does not mean that all regiments between 1 and 
101, 101 and 301, etc., will be organized. That will depend 
on circumstances; but the arrangements of numbers per¬ 
mits one to see immediately to which of the three classes 
of the Army a given unit belongs. 

Moreover, General Order 88, of July 11, 1917, provides 
that: 

1. The designations of regiments of the National 
Guard will show in parenthesis their present State desig¬ 
nation, as, for example, the 165th Infantry (69th N. Y.). 

2. The designations of regiments of the National Army 
will show in parenthesis the State from which each organ¬ 
ization, or the bulk of it, was drawn, as, for example, 
—th Infantry (W. Va.) ; —th Field Artillery (Minn.). 

The designation in parenthesis may be omitted in or¬ 
ders, etc., but will be authorized, when desired, for the 
purpose of local identification and to preserve traditions 
and local pride. 

*This applies to Infantry, Cavalry and Field Artillery. For instance, 
the 26th Division consists of the 51st and 52d Infantry Brigades, 51st 
Field Artillery Brigade, etc. 









PART VI. 


War Department, Schools, Arsenals 
1. WAR DEPARTMENT 

The Adjutant General’s Office attends to Recruiting, 
Keeping of Records and Rolls, Correspondence and Exam¬ 
inations. 

A Division of Militia Affairs is in charge of all that 
pertains to the National Guard. 

The General Staff is intrusted with the making of mo¬ 
bilization plans, the training of the Army, etc. 

Improvements, etc., are studied by the War College 
Division, which includes also a School for Officers. 

A Chief of Ordnance’s Office has within its scope all 
matters connected with armament, powders and explosives, 
arsenals, etc. 

The other offices of the War Department, which need 
no explanation, are: 

The Inspector General’s. 

The Judge Advocate General’s. 

The Quartermaster General’s. 

The Surgeon General’s. 

The Chief of Engineers’. 

The Chief Signal Officer’s. 

The Coast Artillery Division. 

The Bureau of Insular Affairs. 


48 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


49 


IMPORTANT REMARKS. 

1. The Quartermaster General’s Office, whose impor¬ 
tance has enormously increased during this war, has been 
lately reorganized. New divisions, or bureaus, were cre¬ 
ated, i.e.: Administration; Supply (with special “sec¬ 
tions” devoted respectively to woolens, cotton, knit goods, 
shoes, leather and rubber goods, estimates and claims); 
Conservation; Inland Transportation; Statistics; Mainte- 
ance; Personnel; Storage. 

2. A WAR COUNCIL was created in December, 1917. 
It is an advisory body intended to assist the Chief of the 
General Staff, who himself is the immediate advisor of 
the Secretary of War. 

3. In February, 1918, the General Staff was reor¬ 
ganized. For a long time there had been complaints 
about the working of that body. It has been said that its 
organization was neither scientific nor comprehensive. 
There was no Transportation Section; the Map and Sur¬ 
vey Service was in an embryonic state; the Service of 
Information absolutely inefficient. It had so departed 
from its original object as to become a mere part of the 
executive machinery of the War Department. In addi¬ 
tion, it did not keep in touch with the different Bureaus; 
and, as a result, the Secretary of War, whom it was sup¬ 
posed to advise, did not always possess a knowledge of 
the military situation, except as it was colored by the 
General Staff views or incorrectly imparted through an 
imperfect acquaintance of the General Staff's members 
with the situation. Lastly, the personnel 'vlras changing 
too often. 

Under the reorganization of February, 1918, the Gen- 


50 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


eral Staff consists of five main divisions. Each of these 
is under an officer who has full power to act for the 
Secretary of War upon all matters charged to his divi¬ 
sion. 

1. Executive Division (co-ordination between all the agen¬ 

cies of the Department; statistics; military intelli¬ 
gence; requisitions; assignments and promotions; 
militia and Federal guards). 

2. War Plans Division. 

3. Purchase and Supply Division. 

4. Storage and Traffic Division. 

5. Army Operations Division. 

The chiefs of the several Bureaus, Corps and other 
agencies communicate directly with the chiefs of the sev¬ 
eral Divisions. 

2. SCHOOLS 

As the war methods are growing more complicated and 
scientific, the need of Schools for Officers and specialists 
has become more imperative. 

Today the Military Educational system of the United 
States is very elaborate. These are the Principal Army 
Schools: 

1. Military Academy of West Point. 

2. The Army War College (Washington, D. C.). 

3. The Army Service Schools (Fort Leavenworth), in¬ 
cluding : 

(а) The Army School of the Line 

(б) The Army Staff College 

(c) The Army Signal School 

(d) The Army Field Engineer School 

(e) The Army Field Service and Correspondence 

School for Medical Officers 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


51 


4. The Army Medical School (Washington, D. C.). 

Ambulance Corps (Allentown, Pa.). 

Sanitary Units (Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort 
Oglethorpe, Ga.). 

5. The Coast Artillery School (Fortress Monroe, Vir¬ 
ginia). 

6. The Engineer School (Washington, D. C., and Camp 
Lee, Va.). 

7. The Mounted Service School (Fort Riley, Kan.) 

8. The School of Fire for Field Artillery (Fort Sill, 
Okla.). 

9. School of Musketry (Fort Sill, Okla.).* 

10. Garrison Schools (one at each military post). 

11. Post Schools for Instruction of Enlisted Men (one 
at each post). 

12. Schools for Bakers and Cooks (five schools). 

13. The Signal Corps Aviation Schools (23 schools). 

Signal Schools proper (three schools). 
Experimental Aviation Fields (two schools). 
Ground Schools (eight schools). 

Aerial Photographic School (Hampton, Va.). 
Army Balloon School (Fort Omaha, Neb.). 
Ground Officers School (San Antonio, Tex.). 
Radio School (Little Silver, N. J.). 

Aerial Observers’ School (Fort Sill, Okla.). 

14. Bandmasters’ Class (Governor’s Island, N. Y.). 

15. School for Saddlers and Battery Mechanics (Rock 
Island, Ill.). 

16. School for Chauffeurs and Mechanics (Fort Sam 
Houston, Tex.). 


Or Infantry School of Anns. 



52 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


17. Quartermaster Schools (Jacksonville, Fla., and 
Washington, D. C.). 


3. ARSENALS 

Allegheny Arsenal (Pittsburg, Pa.). 

Augusta Arsenal (Augusta, Ga.). 

Benicia Arsenal (Benicia, Cal.). 

Columbia Arsenal (Columbia, Tenn.). 

Ft. Monroe Arsenal (Ft. Monroe, Va.). 

Frankford Arsenal (Philadelphia, Pa.). 
Indianapolis Arsenal (Indianapolis, Ind.). 
Kennebec Arsenal (Augusta, Me.). 

New York Arsenal (Governor’s Island, N. Y.). 
Rock Island Arsenal (Rock Island, Ill.). 

San Antonio Arsenal (San Antonio, Tex.) 
Springfield Armory (Springfield, Mass.). 
Watertown Arsenal (Watertown, Mass.). 
Watervliet Arsenal (Watervliet, N. Y.). 

St. Louis Powder Depot (Jefferson Barracks, Mo.). 
U. S. Powder Depot (Dover, N. J.). 

Proving Grounds (Sandy Hook, N. J.). 


PART VII. 


Officers 

Regular Army —They are either Graduates of West 
Point, or enlisted men of the Regular Army commisioned 
after competitive examination, or, under certain condi¬ 
tions, men not serving in the Regular Army. 

As regards the later, conditions vary with their status, 
but candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 27 
years, both inclusive. 

For instance, Officers of the National Guard may be¬ 
come Officers of the Regular Army, after examination, if 
they have served three years in the National Guard; a 
civilian may be commissioned, too, after examination, if he 
has attended three Training Camps like that of Platts- 
burg.* 

National Guard —The requirements are not the same 
in all States, although the practice of election of officers 
by the men is fast falling into disuse. 

At any rate, no officer of the Guard is recognized by 
the Federal Government unless he has passed certain 
specified examinations. 

National Army (drafted)—In the present crisis, owing 
to the lack of officers for this part of the military estab¬ 
lishment, special rules have been adopted in order to ob¬ 
tain the required number of lieutenants, etc., for the 
drafted units. Candidates for commission have been ac- 

*See also Part VIII. (RESERVES).' 


53 



54 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


cepted up to the age of 50 and sent, for three months, to 
Officers’ Training Camps within the cantonments. 

Promotion, under ordinary circumstances, is by senior¬ 
ity, in each arm, up to Colonel (inclusive). In the Regu¬ 
lar Army appointments to Brigadier and Major General 
have to be authorized by the Senate. 

By virtue of General Order 132, of October 10, 1917, 
governing, for the duration of the war, the appointment 
and promotion of officers of the National Guard and the 
National Army , temporary appointments and promotions 
in their commands to all grades below that of General 
Officer, subject to the approval of the War Department, 
can be made by Division (or Army Corps) Commanders 
when serving beyond the limits of the United States. 

Vacancies in the grade of second lieutenants not filled 
by the appointment of a reserve corps officer will hence¬ 
forth be filled by the appointment of non-commissioned 
officers selected from the regiment in which the vacancies 
occur (National Guard and National Army only). 

Retirement —Any officer having reached the age of 62, 
or 30 years’ service, may be retired. At 64, or at 40 years’ 
service, he must be placed on the retired list. He then 
receives a pension amounting to 75 per cent, of the active 
pay of his rank; but he always remains amenable to dis¬ 
cipline. 


PART VIII. 


Reserves 

It has been stated, in Part II. ( General Organization) 
that, in the Regular Army, men after three years’ service 
pass into the Reserve for four years; and in the National 
Guard, after four years’ service, they pass into the Na¬ 
tional Guard Reserve for three years. 

But there are other classes of Reservists: 

Regular Army —Ex-soldiers, being less than 45 years 
old, may enlist in the Reserve for four years. Besides, 
there is an Enlisted Reserve Corps for the Engineers, 
Signal Corps, Medical Department, Ordnance and Quar¬ 
termaster Corps, consisting of men between 18 and 45, and 
not in the Army; they serve four years in that branch of 
the Reserve. Periods of instruction may be prescribed for 
them, but for no more than 15 days a year. 

National Guard —An Enlisted Reserve Corps , similar 
to that of the Regular Army may be organized; also, in 
time of war, Reserve Battalions for Recruit Training. 

OFFICERS’ RESERVE CORPS—According to the 
rank for wdrich they apply, candidates must not be more 
than 32, 36, 40 or 45 years old. They cannot be less than 
21 years. There are different grades of examinations and 
requirements. A civilian may be appointed Lieutenant in 
the Reserve Corps if he has attended three Training 
Camps and passed the prescribed examinations. 

A number of them are appointed from the Reserve 


55 


56 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Officers* Training Corps, which are organized in certain 
Universities and Colleges. A Reserve Officer serves five 
years, under ordinary circumstances. When he reaches 
the age limit (as stated above) he is retired, but is allowed 
to retain his title and wear his uniform. 

To the extent provided for from time to time by appro¬ 
priations for this specific purpose, the Secretary of War is 
authorized to order reserve officers to duty with troops or 
at field exercises, or for instruction, for periods not to 
exceed fifteen days in any one calendar year, and while so 
serving such officers shall receive the pay and allowances 
of their respective grades in the Regular Army. 

Under certain conditions a Reserve Officer may be at¬ 
tached, for purposes of instruction, to a unit of the Regu¬ 
lar Army for six months, with a commission as a Tempo¬ 
rary'Second Lieutenant of the Regular Army. 


PART IX. 

Ranks and Insignia 

The following are in a condensed form the grades of 
rank of Officers and non-commissioned Officers: 

1. General 

2. Lieutenant General 

3. Major General 

4. Brigadier General 

5. Colonel 

6. Lieutenant Colonel 

7. Major 

8. Captain 

9. First Lieutenant 

*10. Second Lieutenant 

11. Cadet 

12. Sergeant Major 

13. First Sergeant 

14. Sergeant 

15. Corporal 

16. Lance Corporal 

Below these are the Privates, First Class, and finally 
the Privates. 

Remarks —1. There are no Generals or Lieutenant Gen¬ 
erals in time of peace, the highest rank being, as a rule, 
that of Major General. The United States Government 
has always been so chary in bestowing the rank of full 
General that the honor implied is considered very high. 
Before the present war the only officers who have achieved 


57 


58 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


the full rank of General are Washington, Grant, Sherman 
and Sheridan. Lieutenant Generals, too, have been very 
few. Pershing, our Commander in France, is a full Gen¬ 
eral. 

2. In some branches of the Army there are two classes 
of Sergeants. 

3. The Lance Corporal is a soldier who has been chosen 
to be ultimately appointed a Corporal. 

COLLAR DEVICES 

Each officer or enlisted man wears two devices at the 
collar: 

1. The “U. S.” 2. The corps or arm device. 

Officers —The “U. S.” is worn on each side of the 
collar, and the corps device back of it. It is a metallic 
insignia. 

Enlisted Men —The insignia are on large buttons. The 
U. S. button, which also bears the number of the regi¬ 
ment, is worn on the right side of collar. On the left side 
is the button denoting arm of service. 

There are four kinds of “U. S.” i.e. : 

“U. S.,” for regulars (Fig. 33). 

“U. S. R.,” for reserve officers and enlisted men 
(Fig. 34). 

“U. S.,” with the smaller letters “N. G.” superim¬ 
posed thereon, for National Guard (Fig. 35). 

“U. S.,” with the smaller letters “N. A.” superim¬ 
posed thereon, for National Army (Fig. 36). 

The Corps or Arm devices are as follows: 


General Staff .U. S. coat-of-arms on a silver star 

Infantry .Two crossed rifles (Figure 1)* 


For officers the number of regiment is worn above the arm device. 





OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


59 


Cavalry .Two crossed sabres (Fig. 2) 

Coast Artillery .Two crossed guns and a shell in 

the middle (Fig. 3) 

Field Artillery .Two crossed guns (Fig. 4) 

Engineers .Two battlemented towers (Fig. 5) 

Signal Corps .Two crossed guidons with torch 

in the middle (Fig. 6) 

Machine Gun Battalion Two crossed rifles (or sabres), 

(or squadron) .. with number of unit above and 

letters “M” on the left, “G” on 
the right of device 

Trench Mortar units.Like Field Artillery, with letters 

“T M” above 

Heavy Trench Mortar 

units .Like Coast Artillery, with letters 

Anti-aircraft Artillery “T M” above 

units ...Same, with letters “A A” 

Tank Service .A conventional tank, 1 inch high, 

with number of regiment at 
bottom 

Chemical Service .A benzol ring superimposed in 

the center of crossed retorts 

Medical Dept.-A caduceus (Fig. 7)* 

Dental Corps .Same, with letters “D C” inter¬ 

twined 

Veterinary Corps .Same, with letters “V C” inter- 

twinedf 

Chaplain .A Latin cross 

Quartermaster Corps ....A sword and .a key crossed on a 

wheel, with eagle top (Fig. 8) 
Ordnance .A shell and flame (Fig. 9) 


Judge Advocate’s Dept.... A sabre and a pen crossed upon a 

wreath (Fig. 10) 

*Two serpents coiled on staff, with two wings at the top. Besides, a 
smaller device is sometimes superimposed on the caduceus, i.e.: 

Sanitary Corps: Letters S. C. "j 

Ambulance Corps: Letters A. C. I intertwined 
Nurses’ Corps: Letters N. C. j 

fFormerly a horse’s hoof. 



















60 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Adjutant General's Dept.U. S. shield (Fig. 11) 

Inspector General’s Dept.A wreath with motto and, under, 

a sabre and a lictor’s axe, 
crossed (Fig. 12) 

Insular Affairs .Seven arrows in a bunch, with 

wings on both sides 

West Point .Special shield, with eagle on top 

Aide to General Officer..U. S. shield bearing the number 

of stars worn by the General 
Officer, and eagle on top 

Interpreter .A wreath, with letters “INT” in 

the middle 

Recruiting Service .A wreath, with the letters “R S” 

in the middle (Fig. 13) 

Philippine Scouts .Two crossed rifles surmounted by 

letter “P” 

Porto Rico Regiment.Same, with letters “P R” 

Note. —The device for Reserve Officers ’ Training 

Camp is worn on the sleeve , on a shield: 

U. S. 


R. O. T. C. 

We have noted that the collar devices for enlisted men 
are on large buttons.* Otherwise, they do not practically 
differ from those ©f commissioned officers. However, the 
company’s or battery’s or troop’s letter appears generally 
under the arm device, as the number of regiment does on 
the U. S. button.f 

There are a few buttons bearing a device particular to 
the enlisted men, i.e.: 


*This is rather a disk, 1 inch in diameter, with embossed rim. 
fOfficers do not wear the letter of company, battery or troop; only 
the regimental number. 










OUR ARMY IN A ' NUTSHELL 


61 


. Machine Gun units.Like officers, but the letters “M 

G” above the arm device 

Electrician ...A cluster of zigzagging lines 

Bandsman .A lyre 

Service School .A rack wheel with a hammer and 

a pen crossed in the middle 

Disciplinary Barracks 

Guard .Letters “D B G” 

Recruiting Service .Letters “R S” 

Interpreter .Letters “INT” 

Intelligence Police .Letters “I P” 

West Point Military 

Academy Detachments Arm device with letters “M A” 

on top and “DET” below 

Army Field Clerks.Two crossed quill pens (with 

Quartermaster device if they 
are attached to that branch) 
Division Headquarters ..Letter “H” 

Divisional Trains .Letter “T” 

Headquarters (or Sup¬ 
ply) company of a 

regiment.Leters “H Q” (or “S”) with the 

arm insignia 


BADGES 

Brassards 

1. Blue with letters “M. P.” in black, Military Police. 

2. Gray postal service cloth with “Posts U. S. A.” in black, 

Postal Clerks. # 

COLORS OF ARM OR SERVICE 

In the Service Uniform, the hat cord of enlisted men 
has a distinctive color varying with the arm or service: 














62 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


"V 


General Staff—Black. 

Infantry—Light blue. 

C av air y—Y ello w. 

Artillery—Scarlet. 

Engineers—Scarlet and white. 

Signal Corps—Orange and white. 

Medical Department—Maroon and white. 
Quartermaster Department—Buff. 

Reserve Officers’ Training Camps—Tricolor. 

Ordnance—Black and red. 

Adjutant General’s Department. ) 

Inspector General’s Department. [• dark blue 

Judge Advocate General’s Department.. ) 

Army Field Clerks—Black and Silver strands 
For all Officers, except Generals, the hat cord is gilt 
and black. For Generals, gold wire. 


RANK INSIGNIA 
OFFICERS 

1. All officers wear a special device (Fig. 24) on their 
cap. 

2. On the shoulder loop of the blouse (or coat), or at 
the collar of the shirt in service uniform, the ranks are 
shown as follows: 

Second Lieutenant—One gilt bar (Fig. 14).* 

First Lieutenant—One silver bar (Fig. 15). 

Captain—Two silver bars (Fig. 16). 

Major—One golden leaf (Fig. 17). 

Lieutenant Colonel—One silver leaf (Fig. 18). 

Colonel—One silver eagle (Fig. 19). 

Brigadier General—One silver star (Fig. 20). 

Major General—Two silver stars (Fig. 21). 

Lieutenant General—Three silver stars (Fig. 22). 

_ General— Four silver stars (Fig. 23).f 

*This is an innovation. Second lieutenants formerly had no bar. 
tUsed to be two stars separated by the coat-of-arms of the United 
States. 






OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


63 


3. All officers except General Officers wear on the 
overcoat sleeves strips of braid sewn in loops, i.e.: 

Second Lieutenant . one strip (brown) 

First Lieutenant . one strip 

Captain . two strips 

Major . three “ 

Lieutenant Colonel . four “ 

Colonel .*. five “ 

General officers wear two black bands of braid, and the 
stars of rank. 

4. All officers wear a band of brown braid about 3 
inches from the end of the under coat sleeve, with the 
exception of Officers of the General Staff Corps, who wear 
black braid (Fig. 37)** 

ENLISTED MEN 

The insignia of rank are worn on the sleeve, above the 
elbow, i.e.: 


Lance Corporal .One woolen chevron (like an in¬ 

verted “V” (Fig. 25) 

Corporal .Two chevrons (Fig. 26) 

Sergeant .Three chevrons (Fig. 27) 

Color Sergeant .Three chevrons and one star 

(Fig. 28) 

Supply Sergeant .Three chevrons with one horizon¬ 

tal bar at lower end (Fig. 29) 


*To sum up, a captain of the Third Infantry, for instance, would 
wear: 

1. Gold and black cord on the service hat. 

2. Special officer device on the cap. 

3. Two silver bars on each shoulder loop. 

4. U. S. and two crossed rifles and No. 3 on each side of collar. 

5. One band of brown braid on the cuff of the coat’s sleeve. 

6. Two strips of black braid, in loop, on the overcoat’s sleeve. 


black 
(P. 72) 














64 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


First Sergeant ...Three chevrons and one lozenge 

(Fig. 30) 

Sergeant Major (Bat¬ 
talion) .Three chevrons and, under, one 

arc of two bars (Fig. 31) 

Sergeant Major (Regi¬ 
mental) .Three chevrons and one arc of 

three bars (Fig. 32) 

Supply Sergeant (Bat¬ 
talion) .Three chevrons and, under, two 

horizontal bars 

Stable Sergeant .Three chevrons and a horse’s head 

Principal Musician .Three chevrons and a bugle 

Chief Trumpeter .Three chevrons and an arc of one 

bar, and a trumpet between 

Chief Musician .Same, but arc with two bars 

Band Leader .Three chevrons and an arc of 

three bars, with a lyre between 
Assistant Band Leader ..Same, but arc of two bars only 

Sergeant Bugler .Same, but arc of one bar only 

Band Sergeant and 

Band Corporal .The Sergeant (or Corporal) chev¬ 

rons, with a lyre below 

First Class Sergeant, 

Signal Corps .Three chevrons below the arm de¬ 

vice and below an arc of one 
bar* 

Ordnance Sergeant .Same, but with the Ordnance de¬ 

vice (a shell and flame) f 

These are the most important sleeve insignia for non¬ 
commissioned officers. There are several others. As a 
rule, for “specialists,” such as Engineer of the Coast Ar¬ 
tillery, Master Gunner, Master Signal Electrician, etc., of 
the same arm; Master Engineer (Senior Grade), etc., 

*A11 non-commissioned officers of the Signal Corps wear the arm 
device on the sleeve. 

fThe note above applies also to the Ordnance Corps. 
















OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


65 


there is one or more special devices, with a star above and 
a half wreath below; but this is by no means a general 
rule. It takes an expert observer to understand at a 
glance the meaning of many of these insignia. 

Below is a partial list of special insignia for privates: 


Saddler .One saddler’s knife 

Farrier .One horseshoe 

Cook .One cook’s cap 

Wagoner .One wheel 

Mechanic .Two crossed hammers 

Gunner (Coast Artillery) One shell 
Observer (Coast Ar¬ 
tillery ...One triangle 


INSIGNIA OF THE AVIATION SERVICE 
1. Aviators 
OFFICERS 

1. Military Aviator .The U. S. shield between two 

wings and, above, a star (Fig. 
38) 

2. Junior Aviator and 

Reserve Military 


Aviator .Same, without the star (Fig. 39) 

3. Observer .Shield and only one wing (Fig. 

40) 

ENLISTED MEN 

1. Enlisted Aviator .A four-bladed propeller between 

two wings and number of unit 
above (Fig. 41) 

2. Enlisted man .A four-bladed propeller and num¬ 

ber of unit (Fig. 42) 


3. Enlisted mechanician..Same, but propeller is within a 

circle 














66 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Officers wear “U. S.” and Signal Corps device on collar. 
The Aviation insignia are embroidered in silver thread on 
blue background, with gold “U. S.” (of the shield) and 
worn on left breast. 

Enlisted Men —Signal Corps button on collar; Aviation 
insignia on sleeve. 

2. Aeronauts* 

OFFICERS 

1. Military Aeronaut.A balloon between two wings, let¬ 

ters “U. S.” on bag of balloon 
and star abcrve 

2. Junior Military Aer- Same, without star 

onaut and Reserve 
Military Aeronaut.. 

3. Observer .Letter “O” (of gothic design) and 

one wing 

*In charge of the balloons (not of the aeroplanes). Minor Insig¬ 
nia: There are several other minor insignia, such as that of the Marks¬ 
man (a bar with that word); Expert Rifleman (one bar with this word; 
under a half wreath with two crossed rifles); Sharpshooter (one bar 
with that word and under a cross); Pistol Sharpshooter (same, smaller). 
Besides, there is a Medal of Honor, granted to soldiers and officers for 
extraordinary bravery, and different badges or medals commemorating 
the Indian War, Spanish-American War, Cuban Campaign and Philip¬ 
pine Campaign. On March 6, 1918, four new decorations have been 
created, i.e: 

1. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, to be awarded for extraordi¬ 

nary heroism under conditions which do not justify awarding the 
Congressional Medal of Honor. 

2. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, for exceptional service to 

the Government in a duty of great responsibility in time of war. 

3. WAR SERVICE CHEVRON, of gold, to be worn on the left sleeve. 

Is awarded for each six months’ service in the war zone. 

4. WOUND CHEVRON, of cloth, to be worn on the right sleeve by 

men gassed or wounded. 





OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


67 


These insignia are embroidered in white on blue back¬ 
ground. 

Note.— Flying Candidates at aviation and balloon 
schools wear a band of white pique around the service hat 
and cap. 


INSIGNIA OF INSTITUTIONS CONNECTED 
WITH THE ARMY 

AMERICAN RED CROSS 


'Cap device .Same as officer, with the Geneva 

Cross above 

Shoulder loop .“U. S.” and the Geneva Cross 

Sleeve marks .Short bars or stars of blue cloth 

(according to rank, and Ge¬ 
neva Cross)* 


Y. M. C. A. SECRETARIES 


In America .A triangle in a circle (red) 

Abroad .A triangle with a band bearing 

the leters “Y. M. C. A.” super¬ 
imposed thereon 


*Lieutenant . 1 bar 

Captain . 2 bars 

Major . 3 “ 


Lieutenant Colonel . 4 
General Officers have, 
sleeve’s cuff. 


Colonel ^. 5 bars 

Brig. General. 1 star 

Major General. 2 stars 


, a band of blue cloth around the 















68 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 












OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 



















OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 





OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


71 




















PART X. 


Clothing, Equipment, Rations, Pay 


CLOTHING 

The standard type of Army Uniform is the Service 
Uniform , which is the only one used by many units of the 
National Guard, and by all units of the National Army. 

It is made either'of woolen or cotton material, but al¬ 
ways in olive drab color. It consists chiefly of a shirt, 
breeches, with a service hat, leggings and russet shoes. 
The blouse is not worn by the man on the march, but car¬ 
ried on the regimental wagons. A poncho (or rain coat) 
is carried in the soldier’s pack. The overcoat is a some¬ 
what exceptional garment; a service cap is used also in 
camp and garrison. 

In the Regular Army and some units of the National 
Guard, there is also a dress uniform (a dark blue coat 
with light blue trousers and a cap). 

Some units of the National Guard have special uni¬ 
forms; the best known of them are those of the 7th, 71st, 
23d, and Squadron A of New York; the 1st Corps of 
Cadets of Massachusetts; the Troops 1 and 2 of Phila¬ 
delphia City Cavalry; the 5th Maryland Infantry; the 
Richmond Light Infantry. 

Officers, especially in the Regular Army, have, besides 
the Service and the Dress uniform, a Full Dress one, and 
also an Evening Dress, the coat of which is worn with a 
white waistcoat and white shirt. A uniform of green- 


73 



74 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


gray cotton serge has been adopted by several States for 
their Home Guards. 

Owing to the requirements of trench warfare, there 
will be adopted for the use of troops abroad: 

1. A jacket, or “jerkin,” made of leather, blanket lined, 
instead of lined with fleece. 

2. A rubber boot extending to the hip and under which 
will be worn a fleece-lined moccasin. 

3. A knitted skull cap, closely fitting, to be worn under 
the steel helmet. 

4. Puttees to replace the canvas leggings, but for 
trench use only.* 

5. Longer wool gloves, whose wrist will thus be brought 
over pulse. 


EQUIPMENT 

Besides his rifle, bayonet and 100 rounds of ammuni¬ 
tion, the Infantry man carries tools, a belt (with canteen 
and First Aid Pouch attached), a mess kit, and a pack 
consisting of two parts; the Haversack and the Pack Car¬ 
rier. The latter contains articles which are not absolutely 
necessary to the soldier (poncho, blanket, shelter half) ; it 
is left behind at the time of a fight, and the Infantryman 
carries, in exchange, additional rounds of ammunition. 

The belt, pack, tool-coverings, etc., are “Mills Woven,” 
of olive drab color. The tools, which are divided between 
the members of each squad, consist of a hand axe, shovel, 
pick-mattock, and wire cutter. The Haversack contains 
some spare linen, toilet articles, a “housewife,” haversack 

*Until recently commissioned officers customarily wore leather leg¬ 
gings, while all enlisted men wore canvas leggings. However, leather 
leggings may now be worn by mounted men. 




OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


75 


and emergency rations, etc. The shelter tent is for two 
men, each carrying half of it (shelter half) in his pack. 
The aluminum mess kit is carried in a small khaki bag 
upon the top of the haversack. The haversack and pack 
carrier with contents weigh about 20.5 pounds. The total 
weight carried by the Infantryman is about 48 pounds. 
This includes clothing and rifle. 

Remark .—Mounted men carry their equipment on their 
saddle. In the field artillery most of the equipment is car¬ 
ried in bags on the limbers and caissons. 


FLAGS 

Each Regiment has two Flags —a National one and a 
Regimental one. The latter has the color of the arm (for 
instance, blue for the Infantry, yellow for the Cavalry, 
scarlet for the Artillery and Engineers) ; it bears the 
number of the Regiment. The senior Color Sergeant car¬ 
ries the National Flag; the junior Color Sergeant is in 
charge of the Regimental Flag.* 

*The Army flags are divided into two classes—the COLORS, for 
unmounted units; the STANDARD (smaller) for mounted ones. The 
regimental colors or standards bear the U. S. coat-of-arms, which con¬ 
sists of the following device: A spread eagle with the national escutch¬ 
eon on its breast and holding in its right talon an olive branch; in its 
left a bundle of thirteen arrows, and in its beak a scroll with the 
motto, E Pluribus Unum. Above the eagle’s head is a “glory,” or 
circle of light, breaking through a cloud and surrounding thirteen stars. 

Besides the regimental colors, the following must be mentioned: 

_ ( Blue with Presidential coat-of-arms and a 

President . < , .. . . , 

) white star at each corner. 

Secretary of War.Red, with U. S. coat-of-arms, 4 white stars. 

Asst. Secretary of War. .Same design, but white, with red stars. 






76 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Each battery, troop of cavalry and unit of special 
branches of the service (such as aero-squadron,, mounted 
engineers, field hospital, etc.) have a guidon with the arm 
device, regimental and unit numbers. These guidons are 
generally scarlet. The ammunition train ppnnant bears 
only the number of the unit (very large). 

The General Officers’ automobile flags are scarlet, with 
the number of white stars corresponding to the rank. 


RATIONS 

In garrison the enlisted man receives, daily, rations 
weighing about 4.5 pounds. It costs about 40 cents a day 
to feed a soldier. The field ration is somewhat smaller. 
It consists of bacon (12 oz.), hard bread, beans, prunes, 
coffee, sugar, salt, and weighs, net, 3 pounds. That ration 
is not carried by the soldier, but issued to him each day 
when practicable.* 

I Made up of two triangles, one white, one 

Chief of Staff.< red. Staff emblem in the middle, 1 white 

\ star and 1 red star. 

Corps of Cadets Colors. .Gray, with Military Academy emblem. 

Exceptions: Cavalry, red and white; sanitary formations, dark 

maroon; motor truck companies, two triangles ( red and blue), and one 
white lozenge with the Quartermaster device; chaplain, blue with white 
Latin cross; ambulance and field hospital (not the units themselves), 
Red Cross flag. 

"The present field ration of the American soldier serving in France 
consists of 20 oz. bacon (or 16 oz. of either canned meat or canned 
salmon); 18 oz. of bread (or beans, or flour); 20 oz. potatoes (or 
onions or tomatoes); 1*4 oz. coffee; 3 oz. sugar, plus salt, pepper, jam 
(or dried apples, prunes, syrup). The different units of the Army are 
being supplied with Field (or “rolling”) Kitchens, in which meals can be 
prepared and cooked while on the march. 





OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


77 


The soldier carries in his haversack one (and some¬ 
times two) haversack (or reserve) ration weighing 2 
pounds, and consisting of bacon (12 oz.), coffee in beans, 
hard bread (16 oz.), sugar. Besides, he keeps also in his 
haversack one emergency ration, which is not to be used 
except upon an officer’s order. It weighs one pound, and 
consists of a dry mixture of chocolate, cereals and dessi- 
cated meat, or condensed soup, generally enclosed in a 
metallic box. 

Several days’ reserve rations are carried on the wagons 
of the field train. 


ARMY PAY. 

The total pay of the United States Army for the 
month of December was approximately $78,580,800. Dis¬ 
bursements on account of the pay of officers and men of 
the Army are now at the rate of about $950,000,000 a 
year. These figures consider solely the pay disbursed by 
the Quartermaster Corps and do not include family allow¬ 
ances or compensation for disability of soldiers provided 
for by the Military and Naval Insurance Act and paid 
through the War Risk Insurance Bureau of the Treasury 
Department. Following is a comprehensive statement of 
the system of pay of the Army, authorized by the Quarter¬ 
master General: 

The Quartermaster General of the Army, under the 
direction of the Secretary of War, is charged with the 
duty of providing for the payment of the officers, enlisted 
men, female nurses, field clerks and civilian clerks of the 
Quartermaster Corps on duty at places other than in the 
office of the Quartermaster General. 

The officers and enlisted men of the Arpiy are paid at 
the end of each month, or as soon thereafter as possible, 
in cash or by check, at their stations or in the field. In 
France they are paid in French currency or by U. S. 
checks, as they may elect. 



78 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Pay of Officers. 

Officers of the Army are paid according to rank; a sec¬ 
ond lieutenant receives $141.67 initial pay per month; first 
lieutenant, $166.67; captain, $200; major, $250; lieutenant 
colonel, $291.67, and a colonel, $333.33; with an increase 
of 10 per cent, known as longevity pay for each period of 
five years of service, provided that such increase shall not 
exceed 40 per cent. 

The pay of a brigadier general is $6,000 per year; 
major general, $8,000; lieutenant general, $9,000, and a 
general, $10,000. These officers receive no increase for 
continuous service. 

All officers are entitled to be furnished public quarters, 
with fuel and light, but if these cannot be provided the 
officers receive a commuted money value of the same. A 
second lieutenant has two rooms, or commutation of $24 
per month; first lieutenant, three rooms, or $36; captain, 
four rooms, or $48; major, five rooms, or $60; lieutenant 
colonel, six rooms, or $72; colonel, seven rooms, or $84; 
brigadier general, eight rooms, or $96; major general, 
nine rooms, or $108; lieutenant general, ten rooms, or 
$120, and a general, eleven rooms, or commutation of 
$132. All receive a suitable allowance for heat and light, 
dependent upon locality of their stations and the season.* 
While on foreign service officers receive an increase of 
10 per cent, of their base pay and longevity pay. 

Aviation officers or other officers attached to the Signal 
Corps while on regular aerial flight duty receive increases 
as follows: Aviation officers, 25 per cent.; junior military 
aviators, 50 per cent.; military aviators, 75 per cent. 
Each junior military aviator and military aviator has 
rank, etc., one grade higher than his commission, provided 
commissions are not higher than captain. 

Officers are retired for disability or after sixty-four 

* According to a ruling, officers who are not stationed at a Regular 
Army post are not allowed commutation for their families and allow¬ 
ances for heat and light. A bill was introduced in Congress to remedy 
this and eliminate the favoritism and inequality which militates against 
the officers in the field. 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


79 


years of age and receive 75 per cent, of the pay of the 
grade [in the Regular Army] held at date of retirement. 

Officers, while in hospital, are charged $1 per day for 
subsistence. They are not entitled to clothing or equip¬ 
ment and are required to subsist themselves, purchasing 
their supplies either from the Quartermaster or through 
the ordinary channels of trade. 

For deeds of valor, recognized by acts of Congress, offi¬ 
cers and enlisted men receive certificates of merit which 
entitle them to an additional compensation of $2 per 
month. 


Pay of Enlisted Men. 

The pay of enlisted men depends on their grades, rat¬ 
ings and length of service. From June 1, 1917, and con¬ 
tinuing during the term of the war the pay of enlisted 
men is as follows: 

Men receiving $30—all privates, the Army entering 
grade; $33—first-class private, minor non-commissioned 
officers; $36—corporals, saddlers, mechanics, farriers and 
wagoners and musicians of the third class; $38—all ser¬ 
geant grades in the line (Infantry, Field and Coast Ar¬ 
tillery, Cavalry), cooks, horseshoers, band corporals and 
musicians of the second class; $44—sergeants of the vari¬ 
ous corps of the Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, 
Quartermaster Corps and Medical Department; band ser¬ 
geants and musicians of the first class; $48—battalion ser¬ 
geant majors, squadron sergeant majors, sergeant majors 
junior grade, sergeant buglers, master gunners, and as¬ 
sistant band leaders, of the line; $51—regimental sergeant 
majors, regimental supply sergeants, sergeant majors 
senior grade, quartermaster sergeants, Q.M. Corps, ord¬ 
nance sergeants, first sergeants, electrician sergeants of 
the first class, assistant engineers and battalion sergeant 
majors and battalion supply sergeants of the Engineers; 
$56—sergeants first class, Medical Department; $71—hos¬ 
pital sergeants, master engineers of the junior grade and 
engineers; $81—quartermaster sergeants of senior grade 
of Q.M. Corps, band leaders, master signal electricians, 


80 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


master electricians, master engineers of the senior grade 
and master hospital sergeants. 

These are the established grades of the enlisted men, 
but they may variously be assigned to such special duties 
as chauffeurs, switchboard operators, cobblers, clerks, cam- 
oufleurs, sanitary inspectors, draughtsmen, stevedores, 
accountants, plumbers, and such other occupations and 
trades as are necessary to meet the requirements of Army 
service. 

In addition to the above, supplemental pay or allow¬ 
ances include increased pay for continuous service, com¬ 
puted by “enlistment period/’ ordinarily a period of three 
or four years, dependent upon the law in effect at date of 
enlistment. There are seven such periods, covering from 
one year to more than eighteen years’ service, and increases 
range from $3 to $24 per month. Privates receiving $30 
are increased $3 per month during second period, an addi¬ 
tional $3 during the third period, and $1 per month for 
each additional enlistment period to include the seventh. 
Above $30 and including $38 grade, men are entitled to 
$3 per month additional for each period from second to 
seventh; above $38 grade to $4 per month. 

Enlisted men of the Coast Artillery, below grade of 
mess sergeant, are entitled to additional ratings, accord¬ 
ing to established individual qualifications, of from $2 to 
$9. In Cavalry, Engineers and Infantry expert riflemen 
receive $5 per month; sharpshooters, $3; marksmen, $2. 
In the Medical Department and Signal Corps there are 
similar increases, and aviation mechanicians engaged in 
regular air flights receive 50 per cent, increase. 

All enlisted men, while on detached duty not in the 
field where there are no Army quarters available, receive 
$15 per month to cover expense of housing and allowance 
for subsistence, heat and light. Serving in a foreign coun¬ 
try, or beyond the continental limits of the United States 
(Porto Rico, Hawaii and Panama Canal Zone excepted), 
they receive 20 per cent, increase computed on base pay 
and service pay prior to June 1, 1917, when Congress in¬ 
creased, for the “term of the emergency,” the pay of all 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


81 


enlisted men in amounts ranging from 50 per cent, to 8 
per cent. Enlisted men attached to the U. S. Military 
Academy have additional compensation for certain duties. 

Enlisted men can apply for retirement, after thirty 
years of service, on 75 per cent, of monthly pay drawn at 
time of retirement, and $15.75 a month additional in lieu 
of allowances. 

An enlisted man in active service has no necessary per¬ 
sonal expenses except for barber and laundry. Uniforms, 
underclothing, shoes, hats, quarters, medical attendance 
and subsistence are supplied them at Government expense. 
Such materials as tobacco, postage, confectionery and inci¬ 
dentals of individual taste may be purchased at the post 
exchange at cost. 

Every soldier receives a money allowance for clothing 
during the enlistment, and each article of clothing that 
he may require is charged against this allowance. By care 
and economy he can save a considerable sum from this 
allowance during his enlistment, and this is paid to him 
upon his discharge from the service. 

Allotments .—The Government permits a soldier to make 
an allotment of any part of his pay to any person he 
may elect. When a soldier makes an allotment in 
favor of his mother or any other person, the amount 
is sent directly to that person by the Quartermaster 
Corps.* 

Family Alloivance .%—For the support, during the war, of 
the families and dependents of enlisted men. In addi¬ 
tion to allotments of pay by the man, the United 
States will pay monthly allowances to the wife, chil- 

*The allotment applies to enlisted men, not to officers. It is com¬ 
pulsory as to wife (divorced wife in certain cases). 

JThis does not apply to officers. 



82 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


dren and certain dependents. A family allowance not 
to exceed $50, in addition to pay allotted by the man, 
shall be paid by the United States. Family allow¬ 
ance shall be paid upon application, which may be 
made" by the man, or made by or in behalf of the 
beneficiary. Family allowance will be paid from the 
time of enlistment, but ceases one month after the 
termination of the war, or at death, or one month 
after discharge from the service. For instance, if the 
enlisted person be a man, the Government pays, 
monthly, $15 to a wife alone; $25 to a wife with one 
child; $10 to a brother, etc. 

Compensation for Death or Disability .—Compensation is 
payable to officers and enlisted men and to members 
of the Army Nurse Corps or of the Navy Nurse 
Corps when employed in active service under the War 
or Navy departments. Compensation shall be pay¬ 
able for death or disability resulting from personal 
injury suffered or disease contracted in line of duty, 
unless caused by the person’s own wilful misconduct. 

Death .—The only persons entitled to receive compensation 
in case of death are the widow, children and depend¬ 
ent widowed mother of the deceased. For instance, a 
widow alone receives $25 a month; with one child, 
$35. A widowed mother receives $20. Compensation 
to a widow or widowed mother shall continue until 
death or remarriage. Compensation to a child shall 
cease at the age of 18, or at marriage, unless the 
child is incompetent. The United States shall pay 
burial expenses not to exceed $100. 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


83 


Total Disability —During the continuance of total disa¬ 
bility monthly compensation shall be paid to the in¬ 
jured person. For instance, if he has neither wife 
nor child living, $30; if he has a wife but no child 
living, $45. If he has a widowed mother dependent 
upon him for support, then, in addition to the above 
amounts, $10.* 

Partial Disability .—The amount of compensation in case 
of partial disability is a percentage of the compensa¬ 
tion provided in case of total disability. The percent¬ 
age is equal to the reduction in earning capacity re¬ 
sulting from the injury. 

Retirement .—Upon the completion of thirty years’ service 
the soldier may retire on three-quarters of the pay he 
is receiving at the time of his retirement. For ex¬ 
ample, if a soldier serves thirty years continuously 
and retires as a First Sergeant, the Government will 
pay him for the rest of his life $67.50 a month and 
require no service in return. 

Soldiers ’ Home .—Should a soldier become disabled, through 
sickness or otherwise, in line of duty, he is entitled to 
both a pension and admission to the Soldiers’ Home; 
or, after a soldier has completed twenty years’ service, 
he is entitled to admission to the Soldiers’ Home, 
whether disabled or not. 


*For certain specified conditions, or if the injured person is perma¬ 
nently bedridden, $100 monthly compensation is provided. (But no 
allowance for a nurse shall be made.) 



84 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


Officers' Pay .—The following is the Pay Table of Officers, _ 
per year (allowances not included)*: 


Major General . $8,000 

Brigadier-General . 6,000 

Colonel . 4,000 

Lieutenant-Colonel . 3,500 

Major . 3,000 

Captain . 2,400 

First Lieutenant . 2,000 

Second Lieutenant . 1,700 


Note .—One hundred dollars is paid to civilians attending 
the Officers' Reserve Training Camps (monthly). 


SERVICE INSURANCE 


Under the War Risk Insurance legislation (Oct. 6, 
1917), insurance will be issued for any of the following 
aggregate amounts upon any one life: 



Converted 

- 

Converted 


into 


into 


monthly 


monthly 


install¬ 


install¬ 

Amount. 

ments of 

Amount. 

ments of 

•$1,000 . 

. $5.75 

$6,000 . 

.$34.50 

1,500 . 

. 8.63 

. 6,500 . 

. 37.38 

2,000 . 

. 11.50 

7,000 . 

. 40.25 

2,500 . 

. 14.38 

7,500 . 

. 43.13 

3,000 . 

. 17.25 

8,000 ...*. 

. 46.00 

3,500 . 

. 20.13 

8,500 . 

. 48.88 

4,000 . 

. 23.00 

9,000 . 

. 51.75 

4,500 . 

. 25.88 

9,500 . 

. 54.63 

5,000 . 

. 28.75 

10,000 . 

. 57.59 

5,500 . 

. 31.63 



*To this one 

must add 10% in 

. case of foreign service. 

The officer’s 

pay is increased 

every five years 

of service in each rank 

below that of 


Brigadier General. 































OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


85 


Which installments will be payable during the total 
and permanent disability of the insured; or if death 
occurs without such disability, for 240 months, or if death 
occurs following such disability for a sufficient number 
of months to make 240 in all, including months of disa¬ 
bility already paid for, in both cases except as otherwise 
provided. The premium to be paid monthly by the in¬ 
sured varies according to the age of the latter. For in¬ 
stance, an insured 18-year-old soldier pays for each $1,000 
of insurance 64 cents a month. At 21 he pays 65 cents. 
Persons entitled to apply for this insurance are: 

A commissioned officer (including a warrant officer) in 
active service in the military or naval forces of the 
United States. 

Any person, male or female, enlisted, enrolled or 
drafted into active service in the military or naval forces 
of the United States, including non-commissioned and 
petty officers and members of training camps authorized 
by law.* 

Any member of the Army Nurse Corps (female) or of 
the Navy Nurse Corps, (female) while employed in active 
service under the War Department, or Navy Department, 
respectively. 


NATIONAL GUARD 

Each enlisted man on the active list belonging to an 
organization of the National Guard shall receive com- 

*The term “military or naval forces” means the Army, the Navy, 
the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, the Naval Reserves, the National 
Naval Volunteers, and any other branch of the United States service 
while serving pursuant to law with the Army or the Navy. 




86 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


pensation for his services except during periods of service 
for which he may become lawfully entitled to the same 
pay as an enlisted man of corresponding grade in the 
Regular Army, at a rate equal to 25 per cent, of the 
initial pay now provided by law for enlisted men of cor¬ 
responding grades of the Regular Army. 

Certain Officers of the Guard who perform some speci¬ 
fied duties are paid by the U. S. Government from $200 to 
$500 a year. Some officers of the Guard who are em¬ 
ployed permanently by their respective State receive a pay 
from that State. 

Reserve .—Men of the Regular Army Reserve (fur¬ 
loughed from the Active Army, or ex-regular Soldiers who 
enlist for four years in the Regular Army Reserve) are 
paid $24 a year. When mobilized in time of war, mem¬ 
bers of the Regular Army Reserve shall receive a sum 
equal to $3 per month for each month during which they 
shall have belonged to the Reserve, as well as the actual 
necessary cost of transportation and subsistence from 
their homes to the places at which they may be ordered to 
report for duty under such summons. 


PART XI. 


Armament and Gunnery 

Rifle. —The Regular Army Rifle is the “Springfield” 
(U. S. Rifle Model 1903, modified in 1906), whose char¬ 
acteristics are: 

Calibre—.300 inch. 

Length without bayonet—3.6 feet. 

Length with bayonet—4.9 feet. 

Weight without bayonet—8.6 pounds. 

Cartridges in magazine—5. 

Jacket of bullet—Cupro Nickel. 

Weight of entire cartridge—395 grains. 

Gun sighted to 2,850 yards. 

Extreme range— 2% miles. 

Muzzle velocity—2,700 foot-seconds. 

Powder—P yrocellulose. 

Note. —1. This rifle, in 1903, took the place of the 
Krag-J orgensen. 

2. Some of the troops sent to France will use the Lee- 
Enfield (English), whose characteristics are: 

Year of adoption—1907. 

Calibre—.303. 

Length without bayonet—4.1 inch. 

Weight without bayonet—9.2 pounds. 

Cartridges in magazine—10. 

Weight of cartridge—415 grains. 

Powder—Cordite. 

Pistol. — The Colt Automatic Pistol , adopted lately, is a 


87 


88 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


very effective weapon. Its length is 8.5 inch; weight, 
2 lb. 7 oz.; calibre, .45; cartridges in magazine, 7. 


GUNS, HOWITZERS AND MORTARS* 

(а) Coast Artillery .—The calibres used vary from 3 to 
16 inches. The most powerful piece, up to this date, is the 
12-inch mortar, model 1912, whose range is oyer 12 miles 
and whose projectile weighs 1,000 pounds. 

(б) Field Artillery —Calibres have been described in 
Part III. (Artillery). 

The standard field gun of 3-inch, which corresponds to 
the French “75/’ has the following characteristics: 

Extreme range—About 4 1-3 miles. 

Weight of gun in battery—2,216 pounds. 

Weight of projectile—15 pounds. 

The gun is breech loading. The apparatus that locks 
the breech after the introduction of the shell into the gun 
is called a breech lock. 

It is a rapid fire piece, which means that very little 
time is lost in re-laying the gun after a shot, for the tube 
forming the gun proper recoils on the carriage and then 
automatically reverts to its former position (formerly the 
whole piece was recoiling on the ground, and new laying 
was necessary after each shot). 

The caisson, which accompanies each gun, has 106 
rounds of ammunition (caisson proper and limber). The 
caisson proper, which is placed close to the gun in action, 
contains 70 rounds. Besides, there are four rounds oh the 
gun carriage under the cannoneers’ seats. 

*See also Part III. (ARTILLERY). 




OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


89 


In modern warfare the gun’s crew (six men and one 
non-confmissioned officer) seldom see their target, because 
the piece is generally placed, for better jyrotection, on the 
rear of a crest or some other cover. The target is seen 
only by the battery commander from his observing station 
(sometimes nearly a mile away) and also, as a rule, by 
the lieutenant in charge of the firing battery, who uses the 
observation ladder with which one of the battery’s caissons 
is supplied. 

The gun layer (or gunner) does not aim at the target 
(which he does not see or even know) ; he is directed to 
aim at some nearby object; but he gives to the gun the 
angle, deflection, range, etc., whicji have been figured out 
by the officers. The latter, in their calculations, have to 
take into consideration, of course, the real target and the 
aiming point. 

During the fire, the “bursts” are observed by the cap¬ 
tain or other observers (who are sometimes in aero¬ 
planes), and the fire is corrected accordingly. 

There are two kinds of projectiles. The shrapnel is 
used against men and animals by means of its many 
bullets and fragments. The high explosive shell is used 
to destroy material, overhead covers, etc. 

The howitzer projectiles, striking with a steeper angle 
of fall, have a great destructive effect upon hostile soldiers 
hidden behind the guns’ shields, or behind the parapets of 
trenches, etc. 


MACHINE GUNS 
There are different types: 

(a) Benet Mercie Automatic Machine Rifle .—A single 



90 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


man can handle it in case of emergency. Weight, 30 
pounds. Fire velocity with a crew of two men, 400 shots 
per minute. 

(b) Lewis Air Cooled Machine Gun .—A little lighter. 
Much used abroad. 

(c) Maxim (model 1904).—Is used with a tripod. 

(d) Browning—A new gun just adopted.* 

(e) Vickers .—Supplied by Great Britain for Infantry 
and Aeroplane use. 




*Two types: 1. An automatic rifle, which can be used also semi- 
automatically. May be fired from the shoulder of hip like a rifle; the 
weight, 15 lbs.; 20 Shots in 2J4 to 3 seconds. 2. A machine gun, 
weighing 34/ lbs., fired with a tripod, by a singlei man if necessary; 
600 shots per minute. 



PART XII. 


Principal Military Abbreviations 

It often happens that civilians are puzzled or misled 
by military abbreviations which appear in Army con¬ 
tracts, deeds, orders, business correspondence and in 
newspapers. Therefore the following list may prove 
useful: 


A. A........Anti-aircraft Artillery 

A. C.Ambulance Corps 

A. G.Adjutant General 

C.Corps 

C. A. C.Coast Artillery Corps 

C. D.Central Department 

C. E. .Corps of Engineers 

Co.Company 

C. S. 0.Chief Signal Officer 

D.Department 

D. B. G.Disciplinary Barracks Guard 

D. C.Dental Corps 

D E T.Detachment 

D. O. L.Detached Officers’ List 

D. O. R. C.Dental Officers’ Reserve Corps 

E. D.Eastern Department 

E. O. R. C......Engineer Officers’ Reserve Corps 

f! A.Field Artillery 

G. O.General Order 

G. S.General Staff 

H. or HQ. .Headquarters 

INT.'.Interpreter 

I. G. D. .Inspector General’s Department 

X. p.Intelligence Police 

j. a. G.Judge Advocate General 

M. C.Medical Corps 


91 




























92 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


M. G.Machine Gun Unit 

M. 0. R. C. .Medical Officers’ Reserve Corps 

M. P.Military Police 

M. R. C. .Medical Reserve Corps 

N. A.National Army 

N. E. D.Northeastern Department 

N. C.Nurses’ Corps 

N. G.National Guard 

Northern D.Northern Department 

O. 0. R. C.Ordnance Officers’ Reserve Corps 

O. R. C.Officers’ Reserve Corps 

P. R. .Porto Rico Regiment 

P. or P. S. .Philippine Scouts 

Q. M. .Quartermaster 

Q. M. C. .Quartermaster Corps 

Q. M. G.Quartermaster General 

Q. M. O. R. C...Quartermaster Officers’ Reserve Cori 

R. 0. T. C.Reserve Officers’ Training Camp 

R. S.Recruiting Service 

S...Supply Company 

S. C.Signal Corps 

S. C. (on caduceus)..Sanitary Corps 

S. D.Southern Department 

S. E. D.South Eastern Department 

S. G.Surgeon General 

S. O. .Special Order 

S. 0. R. C.Signal Officers’ Reserve Corps 

T.Trains 

T. M.Trench Mortar Unit 

U. S. A.United States Army 

U. S. M. A.United States Military Academy 

U. S. M. C.United States Marine Corps 

U. S. R.United States Reserves 

V. C.Veterinary Corps 

V. v .Volunteers 

War D. .War Department 

Western D.Western Department 




































PART XIII 


A Bit of Army History 

The first U. S. Army was the Continental Army of 
General Washington, to which was added a certain pro¬ 
portion of the Militia of the original States. It has since 
been the constant policy of this country not to keep a large 
standing Army. The military system rested upon the fol¬ 
lowing lines: 

1. A small Regular Force. 

2. A Militia establishment which was a sort of State 
Police, in each State. 

3. A Volunteers’ Army, raised in case of war. 

In case of war, the President has a right to call out 
the National Guard (Militia) ; but the latter must be then 
mustered in the Federal Service, which has too often 
caused delay and confusion during the mobilization, as the 
Militia is not unfrequently encumbered with men not fit 
for real campaigning. 

Such an organization, therefore, proves utterly inade¬ 
quate in the event of a great war. Although conscrip¬ 
tion was never popular in the United States, it has be¬ 
come necessary to resort to it, first in 1864, then again in 
1917. 

The Selective Draft decided upon in 1917 is practically 
an adaptation of the Argentine System. In Europe mili¬ 
tary service is generally compulsory for all men, except 
the physically unfit. 

In as far as tactical organization is concerned, the 
main difference between the U. S. Army and the armies of 


93 


94 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


the other Great Powers has always been that in this 
country, except in case of war, the forces are not grouped 
into Divisions. Again, the infantry company, up to the 
present war, has always been much smaller than the 
European one. 

Two European Divisions form an Army Corps, which 
has practically the size of the American Division, but is 
provided with Army Troops, especially Corps Artillery, 
which the U. S. Division does not possess. In Europe, 
again, two or more Army Corps form an Army; several 
Armies make up a Group of Armies. As stated in Part V, 
the American Divisions intended for service in France are 
being reorganized on the European basis. 

A new plan of organization for the American Army 
has been approved by the War Department. A field army 
is to be made up of three or more corps, and each corps 
will have six divisions. This would make an army consist 
of about 342,000 men. If America should succeed in plac¬ 
ing 1,500,000 men in France this year it would thus mean 
the division of this force into at least four armies whose 
commanders would rank next to General Pershing. The 
plan is based on the three-line method of trench warfare 
evolved in France, and the first field army in France will 
be organized as soon as possible. 

General Pershing will decide the number of field 
armies needed in France and the number of army corps 
needed. By the six-division army corps plan, each corps 
will occupy a front sector with two divisions, while two 
replacement or re-enforcement lines of two divisions each 
will support them. The effect is to produce the line of 
depth necessary for the type of warfare now in progress. 


PART XIV. 


Sundry Statistics and Information 


1. Principal Wars in Which the United States has Beni 
• Engaged. 


2 . 


1775-1783. 

1790-1795. 

1798-1800. 

1811- 1813. 
1801-1805. 

1812- 1815. 

1813- 1814. 
1817-1818. 
1831-1832. 
1835-1843. 
1846-1848. 
1849-1855. 
1856-1858. 

1861- 1865. 

1862- 1867. 

1863- 1869. 

1865-1868. 

1872-1873. 

1876-1879. 

1898. 

1899-1900. 

1917. 


War of the Revolution. 

War with Northwestern Indians. 

War with France. 

War with Western Indians. 

War with Tripoli. 

War with Great Britain. 

Creek Indian War (Alabama). 

Seminole War (Florida). 

Black Hawk War. 

Seminole War (Florida). 

Mexican War. 

Apache, Navajo and Utah War. 

Seminole War (Florida). 

Civil War. 

Sioux War (Minnesota and Dakota). 
Indian War (Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado 
and Indian Territory). 

War with Northwestern Indians. 

Modoc War. 

War with Northwestern Indians. 

War with Spain. 

Philippines Insurrection. 

War with Germany. 


Proportion of U. S. Volunteers and Militia to Regulars 
in the Most Important Wars of the Past. 


WAR OF THE REVOLUTION 


Continentals .,. 231,771 

Militia . 164,087 


Total 


95 


395,858 






96 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


WAR OF 1812 

Regulars . 38,186 

Militia . 458,463 

Volunteers . 10,110 

Rangers . 3,049 


Total . 509,808 

WAR WITH MEXICO 

Regulars . 26,992 

Volunteers. 73,532 


Total . 100,454 

CIVIL WAR 

Regulars . 46,669 

Volunteers and Militia. 2,637,080 


Total . 2,683,749 

WAR WITH SPAIN 

Regulars (June 30, 1898). 45,669 

Volunteers . 232,235 


Total . 277,904 

3. United States Army Appropriations (August 29, 1916). 

Appropriations for the maintenance of the 

Army . $267,596,530 

Appropriations for the Military Academy. 1,225,043 

Fortifications, artillery and munitions. 39,556,950 

Quartermaster’s Corps . 98,549,132 

Medical Department . 4,500,000 

Signal Service . 14,281,766 

Corps of Engineers. 9,257,850 

Ordnance Department . 90,900,000 

Pay of Officers of Line (Regular, National 

Guard and Reserve Corps). 21,265,000 






























OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


97 


Pay, enlisted men (Regular, National Guard 


and Reserve Corps) . 43,357,500 

Training and care of the National Guard and 

civilians . 6,972,850 

Incidentals and contingencies. 21,509,392 


The fortifications appropriation is allied to the Army 
maintenance appropriation so closely as to constitute a 
total for the use of the Army between them amounting to 
$307,153,480. 

4. Number of Regiments, etc., in the Army (Act of 1916). 


REGULAR ARMY 

Infantry—64 Regiments 
Cavalry—25 Regiments 
Field Artillery—21 Regiments 
Engineers—7 Regiments 
Mounted Engineers—2 Battalions 
Coast Artillery—263 Companies 
Porto Rico Infantry—1 Regiment 

NATIONAL GUARD (WAR STRENGTH) 

Infantry—144 Regiments 

Cavalry—16 Regiments 

Field Artillery—48 Regiments 

Engineers—16 Regiments 

Signal Corps—16 Battalions 

Aviation—16 Aero-Squadrons 

~ _ S 216 Companies and 1 Battalion 

Coast Artillery | Qf Coast Artillery Supports 

When the present war broke out, new Regular Army 
units were created, the accurate number of which cannot 
be printed here for obvious reasons. 





08 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


As regards the National Guard, the figures given 
above are based upon an effective of 402,965 men.* 

Some confusion is caused in the mind of civilians by 
the fact that, often, General Orders or other officials docu¬ 
ments, when dealing with some service, do not make any 
distinction between the three great branches of the Army. 

Such is the case, for instance, with Signal Corps Or¬ 
ganizations: The creation of a total of 51 Field Bat¬ 
talions is contemplated, for the Regular Army, the Na¬ 
tional Guard and the National Army. One must re¬ 
member, besides, that several units of Cavalry or Coast 
Artillery, either in the Regular Army or in the National 
Guard, have been transformed temporarily into Artillery 
Regiments, Machine Gun Battalions, Headquarters Com¬ 
panies, etc. 

The only practicable way for the general public to 
form an idea of the number of regiments or other units 
in the service is to refer to what has been said in Part IV. 
(Tactical Organization ), about the new type of Infantry 
Division. Should one desire, for instance, to ascertain the 
present number of Infantry Regiments in the Federalized 
National Guard, one must multiply the number of such 
regiments given for one Infantry Division—4—by the 
total number of Divisions formed by the National Guard 
—17. This gives 68.f We similarly find that there are, 

*On peace footing the National Guard, in 1916, numbered only 
143,704 officers and men. The largest effectives were in New York 
State (17,852), and Pennsylvania (13,745). The smallest was in Dela¬ 
ware (575). Nevada had no organized militia. 

fThe number of Divisions organized at the date of January 1, 1918, 
in the National Guard and the National Army is given in Part V. 
(TERRITORIAL AREAS). 



OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


99 


in the National Guard, 151 Regiments of Field Artillery, 
17 of Engineers, 17 Field Signal Battalions, and so forth. 
But it must be borne in mind that: 

1. This applies only to Divisional units; no such way 
of figuring exists as regards units called Corps or Army 
Troops and which are not attached to Divisions. 

2. The number of Regular Army Divisions is withheld 
by the War Department. Therefore, the method of figur¬ 
ing given above applies only to National Guard and Na¬ 
tional Army Divisions. 

As regards the numbering of the different units, the 
rule is easy to remember: 

Numbers between 1 and 100, inclusive, refer to Regu¬ 
lar Army. 

Numbers between 101 and 300, inclusive, to National 
Guard. 

Numbers from 301 up to the National Army. 

The exceptions to that rule are the following: 

(a) Engineer Regiments or Battalions (Corps, Army 
and line of communications except service battalions) are 
part of the National Army and numbered from 10 up.* 

( b) Engineer Companies and detachments belong to 
the National Army and are numbered from 401 up.f 

(c) Engineers’ Service Battalions, also of the National 
Army, are numbered from 501 up. 

(d) Artillery Regiments made up of Coast Artillery 
Corps personnel are numbered from 50 up in the Regular 
Army; from 151 up in the National Guard.! 

*For instance, 10th Engineers (forestry), 36th Engineer battalion 
(road). 

fFor instance, 401st Engineer Company (mining). 

fFor instance, 51st Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps, railroad). > 



100 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


( e ) Artillery Regiments made up of Cavalry or In¬ 
fantry personnel are numbered from 76 up in the Regular 
Army; 176 in the National Guard.* 

(/) Telegraph Battalions are numbered from 51 up in 
the Regular Army; 151 up in the National Guard; 401 up 
in the National Army.f 

(g) Ambulance Sections of the U. S. Army Ambulance 
Service belong to the National Army and are numbered 
from 501 up. 

Note.— Provisional organizations of one arm or branch 
made up of personnel drawn from another arm or branch 
may show the source of their personnel in parenthesis 
after their provisional designations. 

In the cases of various types of mobile Artillery organ¬ 
izations thus formed, they will be designated simply as 
“Artillery,” and the special type of equipment used may 
be added in parenthesis when desirable to do so, thus: 


REGULAR ARMY 

-st Artillery (C. A. C.—Railroad). 

-th Artillery (C. A. C.—Anti-aircraft). 

*For instance, 76th Field Artillery (19th Cavalry, light). (At pres¬ 
ent cavalry regiments of the Regular Army, Nos. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 
24 and 25 have become temporarily Field Artillery Regiments Nos. 76, 
77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82 and 83.) 

fThis numbering has been chosen so as not to interfere with that of 
the other units of the Signal Corps (the Field Battalions). For in¬ 
stance, in the National Guard (numbers from 101 to 300), it has been 
created so far only 17 Field Signal Battalions, 117 being the last one, 
in the 42d Division. It is most likely that these will not be 50 such 
units; so it is sufficiently safe to start at 151 the numbering of the 
Telegraph units. 





OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


101 


-th Artillery (C. A. C.—8-inch Howitzer). 

-th Artillery (19th Cav.—Light). 


NATIONAL GUARD 

-st Artillery (Cal. C. A. C.—8-inch Howitzer)-. 

-th Artillery (1st S. Dak. Cav.—Light).* 

5. Some War Data. 

(a) An Infantry Division, organized on the European 
basis, holds in trench warfare, on the firing line, an aver¬ 
age front of a Jittle less than SV 2 miles. 

* (b) In a general way, it may be said that the Western 
front has an extension of about 460 miles, of which about 
20 are held by the Belgians, 90 by the English'and 350 by 
the French and the Americans. 

(c) After the French standard, one heavy gun is 
needed for every 86 feet of the firing line; and there is one 
gun of either field, trench or heavy artillery for every 
9 yards of trench. 

( d ) Casualties (killed, missing and prisoners) on the 
Allies’ side in France and Belgium, are now only 1.47%, on 

*Besides the units and services hitherto mentioned in this book, the 
Regular Army includes (Section 2 of the Act of June 3, 1916): 

The officers and enlisted men on the retired list. 

The Cadets of the U. S. Military Academy. 

The Detachments and band of the U. S. Military Academy. 

The recruits at the Depots. 

The Post Non-commissioned Officers. 

The Disciplinary Guards. 

The Indian Scouts. 

The Philippine Scouts. 

The Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry. 





102 OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 

the average, during a given battle, in proportion to the 
total mobilized strength. This rate has been constantly- 
decreasing, owing to better command and better methods 
of instruction since the beginning of the war, when the 
ratio was 5.41%. 


6 . What it Costs to Equip an Infantryman for Service in 
France. 

(a) CLOTHING, ETC. 

2 pairs wool breeches... $8.90 

2 wool service coats. 15.20 

1 service hat . 1.70 

1 hat cord . .08 

1 overcoat . 14.92 

2 pairs shoes . 10.20 

2 pairs extra shoe laces. .05 

1 pair canvas leggings. 1.05 

5 pairs wool stockings. 1.50 

3 pairs summer drawers. 1.50 

3 pairs winter drawers. 4.88 

2 flannel shirts . 7.28 

3 summer undershirts . 1.50 

4 winter undershirts . 4.88 

1 waist belt . .25 

1 pair wool gloves. .61 

4 identification tags . .02 

1 bedstack . .98 

3 wool blankets .... 18.75 

1 poncho . 3.55 






















OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


103 


1 shelter tent . 2.95 

5 shelter tent pins... .20 

1 shelter tent pole. .26 


Total ...:. $101.21 


( b) EATING UTENSILS, ETC. 

Haversack rations 

Canteen and cover 

Cup, knife, fork, spoon 

Meat can 

Haversack 

Pack carrier 

First aid kit and pouch 

Total ... $7.73 


( C ) FIGHTING EQUIPMENT 


1 rifle . $19.50 

1 bayonet . 2.15 

1 bayonet scabbard . 1.13 

1 cartridge belt .. 4.08 

100 cartridges . 5.00 

1 steel helmet . 3.00 

1 gas mask . 12.00 

1 trench tool . .50 


Total . $47.36 

Grand total per infantryman.$156.30 




















104 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


7. Identification of Soldiers. 

Two aluminum identification tags, each the size of a 
silver dollar, stamped with the name, rank, Company, 
Regiment or Corps of the wearer, will be worn by each 
officer and enlisted man of the Army whenever the field 
kit is worn; one tag to be suspended from the neck under¬ 
neath the clothing by a cord or thong passed through a 
small hole in the tag, the second tag to be suspended from 
the first one by a short piece of string or tape. 

The identification tag worn around the neck of the 
officer or enlisted man, stamped with a serial number and, 
if possible, the name, rank, Company and Regiment or 
Corps of the wearer, will in all cases be interred with the 
body. The duplicate tag attached thereto will be removed 
at time of burial and turned over to the surgeon or person 
in charge of the burial, from which a record of the same, 
together with the cause and date of death, shall be made 
and reported to the commanding officer. 

8. Interment of Soldiers on the Battlefield. 

It is the duty of the commanding officer to cause to be 
made a sketch as accurate as the means at hand will per¬ 
mit of the burying places of those falling in battle, and 
when practicable to have each grave marked with a tem¬ 
porary headboard. 

9. Mail for U. S. Soldiers Serving in France. 

The designation of the Company, Troop, Battery, to¬ 
gether with the number of the Regiment and, if possible, 
that of the Division, should be followed by the mention: 

“American Expeditionary Forces.” 


OUR ARMY IN A NUTSHELL 


105 


For units of the National Guard it might be conven¬ 
ient to add the designation of the State Regiment; for 
example: 


From 


W. Jones 
P. O. Box 34 


Toledo, O. 

HIRAM P. JONES 


Private 


Co. F, 166th Infantry (4th Ohio) 

42d Division 


American Expeditionary Forces 


Via New York 


Domestic rates apply—that is to say, 3 cents for each 
ounce or fraction thereof. Parcel post rate, 12 cents per 
pound. 


Although this booklet deals only with Army organization, it may 
not be out of place to remind the reader that the Marine Corps has 
about 1,160 officers and 29,970 enlisted men. The Coast Guard service 
is 5,000 strong. In September, 1917, there were about 12,000 officers 
and 141,860 enlisted men in the Navy, besides 41,473 Naval Reserves 
and 14,500 Naval Militiamen in Federal Service. 



INDEX 


Page 

Abbreviations (Principal Mili¬ 


tary) .91, 92 

Aero-Squadrons and Aviation 

Service . 28 

Allotments . 81 

Armament . 87 

Army Appropriations . 96 

Army, Commandment of.. 13 

Army Corps . 40 

Army, General Organization of 12 

Army Headquarters .36, 37 

Army History .93, 94 

Army Pay .77, 81 

Arsenals . 52 

Artillery . 19 

Artillery, Battery of. 21 

Artillery, Coast . 19 

Artillery, Field .19, 20 

Artillery, Heavy . 22 

Artillery, Light . 20 

Artillery, Mountain . 22 

Artillery, Trench . 20 

Aviation Service Insignia.65, 66 

Badges . 61 

Cavalry . 18 

Cavalry Division . 40 

Classifying the Drafted.9, 11 

Clothing .73, 74 

Coast Artillery . 19 

Collar Devices .58, 61 

Colors of Arms or Services..61, 62 

Commandment of s the Army. 13 

Compensation for Death, etc.... 82 

Conscription . 7 

Corps or Arm Devices. 58 

Death Gratuity .'.. 82 

Disability Gratuity . 83 

Division .38. 39 

Draft .7, 11 

Drafted, Classifying the.9, 11 


Page 

Engineers . 22 

Equipment . 74 

Equipment, Cost of.102, 103 

Exemption from Draft. 8 

Family Allowance . 81 

Field Artillery . 19, 22 

Field Gun . 20 

Flags and Guidons. 75 

General Staff . 49 

Guns, Howitzers and Mortal’s, 

20, 88, 89 

Headquarters (Army) .36, 37 

History (Army) .93, 94 

Identification of Soldiers.104 

Infantry .14, 18 

Infantry Company . 14 

Infantry Division ....38, 39, 98, 99 
Institutions Connected with the 

Army . 67 

Insurance (Service) . 84 

Interment (on the field).104 

Length of Service. 12 

Machine Guns .89, 90 

Mail, Soldiers’ . 104 

Marine Corps . 105 

Medical Corps ..29, 30 

Military Departments . 42 

Military Legislation . 7 

Military Service . 7 

National Army .13, 47 

National Army Divisions. 47 

National Guard .12, 47, 97 

National Guard Divisions. 47 

National Guard, Effective of. 97 

Numbering of Divisions and 

Units .46, 47 




































































INDEX—Continued 


Page 

Officers .53, 54 

Officers, Reserve Corps. 55 

Organization, General . 12 

Pay, Officers’ . 84 

Pay, Enlisted Men. 79 

Pay, National Guard. 85 

Pay, Reserve . 86 

Pay, Training Camps. 84 

Pistol . 87 

Promotion . 54 

Proportion of Volunteers, etc., 
in War . 95, 96 

Quartermaster Corps .30, 35, 49 

Ranks, Officers . 57 

Ranks, Men .63, 65 

Rank Insignia, Men.63, 65 

Rank Insignia, Officers. 62 

Rations . 76 

Red Cross, American. 67 

Regiments, Number of....46, 47, 97 

Regular Army .12, 97 

Reserves . 55 

Retirement, Officers . 78 

Retirement, Pay, Enlisted Men, 

81. 83 

Rifle . 87 


Page 

Schools . 50, 51 

Signal Corps . 27, 29 

Soldiers’ Equipment, Cost.102 

Soldiers’ Home. 83 

Statistics, Sundry, and In¬ 
formation .95, 105 

Tactical Organization .38, 41 

Territorial Areas .42, 43 


Training Camps (National 
Guard and National Army), 

44, 46 

Trains and Quartermaster 


Corps .30, 35, 49 

Units, The Different. 14 

U. S. Guards... 41 

Veterinary Corps . 35 

War Council . 49 

War Data, Some.101 

War Department .48, 52 

War Strength of the .Army, 

etc.12, 13 

Wars, Principal, of the U. S... 95 
Weight Carried by Infantry¬ 
man . 75 

Y. M. C. A. Insignia. 67 









































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